Black Wind
by Sanche Llewellyn
Summary: A sequel to "Good Intentions": Avalanche prevented Sephiroth from summoning Meteor, but now they must chase a new creature that has risen to terrorize the land. At Shinra, Scarlet's ambitious cousin Carmine wants to use the creature to perfect a weapon, one she plans to use to destroy Avalanche (along with Cosmo Canyon) for good. AU, OC, Cloud/Tifa (slowly), and ... Yuffie/Barret?
1. Chapter 1

Hello everybody,

This alternate universe story takes place a few weeks after the conclusion of Good Intentions. Not only did Aeris end up alive at the end but Avalanche also defeated Sephiroth at the Northern Crater before he could summon Meteor. However, the effort of saving Aeris drained the life force of her friend John, though their friends in Cosmo Canyon concoct a plan to help him recover.

After Cloud retreats into a funk similar to in-game when he fell into the lifestream, Tifa tries to help him recover, and soon Shinra (through Reeve) sends them both on a mission to chase a mysterious, life draining creature in Costa del Sol.

Meanwhile, Yuffie discovers a traitor inside her father's court and calls Barret out to help her infiltrate a new Shinra base in her homeland - and also to learn the truth about the death of her mother.

Amidst it all, Scarlet's cousin Carmine takes over the post of Shinra's weapon development and reveals a plan to deal with the Avalanche, once and for all.

Originally written (in 2007) before I watched Advent Children, but without Meteor, AC wouldn't happen anyway. Also ignores the "Crisis" spin-off games in the back-story. (I did, in the rewrite, make a couple references to Advent Children.) Certain aspects of the game Planescape Torment show up - not characters or settings, but those who have played that game will recognize quotes and names of spells.

* * *

 **Black Wind**

* * *

 **Prologue**

The Creature awoke with a jerk, as if from a dream, but with no memory other than a crushing need for air. It lay enclosed in a coffin-like tube with a weak light filtering in from above. It drew a ragged breath; a wave of pain sloshed through its body but receded, draining into the black lake of its mind.

The Creature tried sitting up. Its bonds snapped off as if made of string. Pressing against the top of its tube, it peered through a haze of green, beyond which shapes lurked and colors hissed but little if anything moved. With a deliberate shove, the Creature popped the barrier off, clearing its vision enough to bring the empty room into focus.

Blink. Blink. Metal bands and glass tinkled to the floor. A green bath spilled away with a splash. The Creature pivoted to set both feet on the tiles, now wet, and tried to stand but a pain shot through its body like a lightning strike. It hunched, clutching its middle; to an observer, it might have appeared in the midst of rocking itself to sleep.

The pain pulled back but never vanished. In a jerking dance, it took a step. Another. The world rotated back into focus. Shapes. Lights. Over there, a clear, rounded rectangle, rimmed in gray. Three steps forward and a push. The door opened with a sigh, showing dappled grayness in a corridor beyond. Moving by instinct, gulping breaths of air, it approached another exit on surer legs. Though made of something more solid, two thumps and a shove set the Creature stepped free into the night air outside.

It stood on a gentle rise, taking in partly familiar sights. Specks of light in the sky shone down on hunched lobes of treeless hills. Below, larger points of light formed into a crescent along a smooth expanse of black. "Ocean water," a memory said. Under layers of pain, a living soul still cried out, beset with demons but still alive, if anyone could but hear. The Creature growled. The soul huddled back in its shell, taking most of the pain with it. In silence now, the Creature surveyed the land for more pressing needs.

Food.

Out of the night raced a small beast, furry and full of life. The Creature probed the soul and dredged up the word "cat," and a cat on the hunt for prey. Hungry like the Creature. The cat paused, twitching its whiskers at a target beneath a pile of debris, showing no fear of the Creature's presence. The cat flattened its ears, streamlining itself into an arrow of fur. Its rear end twitched.

The Creature felt the taut life of the hunter, the fleeting life of its prey, and above all, its own hunger. Spreading its arms wide, the Creature stirred a dark mist inside, folding it around the life force of both predator and prey. The cat, ready to spring, issued a surprised "Meow?" before dropping limp on its side.

The Creature stepped back, its hunger barely easing, but the tortured soul inside slacked off in its struggle.

The Creature lifted its eyes to the fading sky beyond the flat water. It gazed back at the string of lights along the crescent shore. It took a step, nudging the limp form at its foot. Its hunger raged again. Gazing down at the lights, it felt that tiny mind crying inside itself, but they both knew the truth. Where one found lights, one found prey.

The Creature began to walk, each step bringing it closer to the resort town of Costa del Sol.

 **Chapter I**

 **Let Sleeping Dogs Lie**  
 _"Please tell me this is real tea. With real caffeine. Not those vile herbal concoctions you New Age types dream up." - Cid_

Tifa Lockheart held on for dear life as the _Highwind,_ (their technically stolen multi-decked, rotor-bladed airship) angled and dodged about in the sky, on the alert for Shinra fighters and their mako tipped missiles. With the blond and sunburnt chain smoker - Captain Cid Highwind - at the helm, the clumsy looking airship outflew the fighters each time. Still, their clashes took a toll, a scorch mark here and a snapped cable there, and though the crew patched things up after each raid, the airship trembled that much harder each time Cid tried to juice more power out of her.

Tifa, her long black hair framing her round face and flowing like a waterfall over the seat back behind her, sat out of the crew's way on the _Highwind's_ bridge, gazing out over the clouds. The martial artist marveled at the chaos she and her team had lived through - okay, caused - during the past few months. From tending bar in Midgar's slums to plotting with her hothead, friend Barret Wallace to blow up mako reactors. From their escape from Midgar to the wild chase that followed, her prodigal friend Cloud Strife leading with his obsession with his old nemesis Sephiroth.

And then her world had imploded. Her best friend (and rival) Aeris Gainesborough, struck down by Sephiroth's sword. Tifa had cried her heart out as Cloud released Aeris' body, still dressed like an angel in her pink dress, to float away in the lake. The last survivor of the Cetra, gone forever.

"Rest in peace, dear Aeris," Tifa had whispered, wishing she had never seen the beauty of the Forgotten City, of its aquatic, shell shaped houses.

Then later, when she had met Aeris again out on the great glacier -

"Gil for your thoughts, Tifa?"

Clang, went her mind. Aeris, the young Cetra woman with green eyes and braided chestnut hair, stood beside her dressed in, yea, pink, her heart shaped face glowing with life.

"Aeris. Aeris." Tifa wrapped the woman in a hug to assure herself her friend really stood there. She felt the tears sting her eyes.

"Wow, Tifa. Bad dream? Or thinking about him?"

"Yes," she dodged. "I wonder, I hope Cloud will be all right."

Tifa always marveled at how well she and Aeris had clicked, even from the start when they met in Don Corneo's madhouse. An unlikely pair; her buff, martial artist's body next to Aeris' pink-clad, dancer's build. But Aeris rubbed off on everyone.

"The guy's tougher than industrial diamonds. He just needs time to rest. Hey, you look smart in that get-up."

Tifa had begun dressing a tad more modestly as of late, clad now in a white tank top and black athletic shorts - no more bare midriff while she shook around in the _Highwind_ like a Ping-Pong ball in a vacuum cleaner.

"And I've seen you try on a darker shade of pink. Time to live, I guess."

"I worry about him too. We all had a, a bruising time back in the crater."

Spiky-haired Cloud Strife, so steady and so strong, had melted while facing Hojo and Sephiroth at the North Crater. Though he had pulled together enough to join the fight, a day later he had broken down again, nearly catatonic. Stress? Relief? In any case, Reeve (their solemn inside man in Shinra) had taken Cloud to a place called the Sleepy Acres Recovery Home. Tifa envisioned everyone there wearing white coats.

"How about our little friend?" Tifa asked.

"He drifts in and out of life. At times he seems his old self but the next moment he looks near death. I have tried everything I know to help him. None of it seems to work. Not even a Healing Wind."

John Philip Sorea, that smart-mouthed, albino twelve-year-old (though Tifa thought him much older, if foolish beyond his years), had turned out to come from the same race as the vicious alien creature who had nearly wiped out the Cetra years ago. The young Jenova's obsession with Aeris had terrified Cloud, who had ordered him to stay away from their party. But John's meddling at the Ancient Capital had, in some way Tifa might never grasp, resulted in Aeris standing next to her now.

Aeris said, "Bugenhagen doesn't seem worried about Cloud or John. The old man says, 'Ho-ho-hoo, have patience, young ones.'"

"Bugenhagen is one hundred thirty-seven years old. I don't have that kind of patience."

The _Highwind_ jerked to port before righting itself. Cid's swearing sounded almost comforting.

"I can see why Yuffie left," Aeris said.

Yuffie Kisaragi, the immature yet driven Wutai ninja girl, had demanded Cid take her back to her home after just one jostling air battle. "Pressing personal business," she had said, clamping her hand over her mouth. "And I'm tired of throwing up six times a day."

"If you want to be with Cloud, perhaps you should visit him," Aeris said. "After all - "

The _Highwind_ shook again. Tifa's stomach took a header inside her body.

"Air pocket!" Cid roared when the ship leveled out.

"What's inside an air pocket?" Aeris said. "Isn't it more air?"

Cid swore another streak. Tifa opened her mouth to rib him herself when her PHS phone chirped.

A mechanical voice on the other end began talking before Tifa could even say hello. "Ti-fa, your pres-ence is re-quest-ed at the Home. Cloud is in need of you. Please make haste and ar-rive on the mor-row."

"Cait Sith?" Tifa said. "Is that you? You sound, flat."

Cait Sith, the mechanical cat riding a robot moogle, had by far fared the worst during their Northern Crater encounter. Tifa heard a _sproing_ sound from the other end before Reeve came on. "I'm sorry. I still have work to do on him. He was doing so well this morning."

"Does he lack, bounce?"

"That battle took a lot out of him - as in most of his internal parts - but with my help he will pull through. Cloud does want to see you though. You, and you alone, might break him out of his funk. How soon can you arrive?"

Tifa looked at Aeris who looked at Cid.

Aeris said, "I'm sure Cid can get you close, perhaps even today."

Cid started to protest but Aeris gave him a puppy dog look she likely picked up from that Jenova kid.

"Oh, all right," the crusty captain said. "I'll do it for you, Tifa. Besides, we need old spike-head back on the job to fight off these Shinra gnats. I can put you down on some islands north of the Midgar continent and you can catch a ferry from there. Shinra won't let me get any closer, I'm afraid."

"I heard," Cait Sith groaned from the other end. "That will suf-fice."

Aeris patted Tifa on the shoulder when she signed off. "I'm glad he's feeling better," she told her friend.

Tifa sighed. "Thanks. Let's just hope Cloud remembers who I am."

* * *

John Philip Sorea, the aforementioned albino Jenova, awoke when the airship yet again flung him from his bed. He lay on the metal floor thinking about seat belts, why beds never had them, and feeling as if he had never slept, an annoying feeling so familiar he by now rarely noticed it. Earlier, late morning probably - though he couldn't say which morning - he had summoned enough energy to shower, pull on a dressing gown and hobble down to the ship's mess hall for a late breakfast, enduring Barret's complaints about lazy boys who lie around in bed all day and expect him to cook a gourmet meal at any hour. Still, the big guy enjoyed cooking, though John could not stop laughing when he saw Barret's new gun arm attachment. A big black guy with a buzz cut, tattoos and prosthetic arm that ended in mechanical wire whisks? Robo-Chef had arrived.

Someone later carried him back to his bed. Someone other than captain Cid, as his body didn't reek of stale cigarettes. He lay on the floor, eyes easing closed, debating whether to bother climbing back into bed. Perhaps try his gone-when-you-need-it telekinesis. Ha, his gift. (That and projecting emotions, which blew up in his face even more often). He decided, even if he did manage to catch some real sleep, the kind with actual dreams and stuff, the ship would just toss him onto the floor again. So he lay there, not noticing he had drifted off three times while trying to complete that thought. The rumble of the airship's rotors surged, warning him of a roll across the floor like one of Barret's crepes. Instead, the deck recoiled so hard it nearly bounced him up into his bunk. Bones rattled down his body in protest.

"Oh, just kill me. God, I know you're out there. Put me out of my misery, please?"

As if in answer, the ship tilted and a pillow plopped onto his face.

Luck had fled him; he did not die.

With way too much effort, he cracked an eye. Crinkled his nose. Sneezed, because a white Persian cat had decided see how far it could insert its whiskers up his nostril.

"Fluffy?"

The cat nuzzled him under the chin and purred, pushing the pillow off to the side.

"Come on. Can't you let me die in peace?"

In answer, Fluffy unsheathed her front claws and began to knead his neck.

"Ow!"

Fluffy grinned. Insofar as cats could grin. She opened her mouth and a sliver of drool dripped onto his chin. John lifted an arm to shove the beast off, but his limbs felt like day old linguine. "Cripes." He settled for turning his face to the side, ear to the floor. Fluffy stuck her wet nose on his exposed cheek.

"Grrr."

A paw appeared in front of his face, claws flexing in and out in time with her purr, now loud as a roar.

"What the hell is this!"

The gruff voice of Cid boomed down the hall. Heavy feet tromped on the metal floor.

"And this?" The door to John's room slid open. He looked up from the thick leather boots to the red faced pilot standing in the doorway.

"Meow?" said Fluffy.

John managed to crack a smile, recalling his caper. How had he had summoned the energy to pull it off?

A sweet voice spoke up. "What are you yelling about, Cid?"

Aeris. So she had remained on board. John hadn't seen her on his last trek to the bridge. He knew both Yuffie and Tifa had gone off on personal missions and feared Aeris had done likewise.

"I can't take this. On my ship!"

Aeris laughed. "You have to admit. It is funny."

"Hell. I need a cigarette." John heard another ripping sound. Cid held a tattered sign up where John could read it: 'Thank you for not smoking.'

"All over my ship? You got a lot of damn nerve, Jenova boy."

Aeris laughed again, walking into view. She wore a sleeveless pink dress that sparkled with sequins - though John's watering eyes may have added that detail. He had never had a cat allergy until he met Fluffy.

Always the charmer, Fluffy leaped off to scrub her head against Aeris' legs. With the weight on his chest gone, John felt his body reinflate.

"Kid, you can't be sick," Cid said. "Doctor said there was nothing wrong with you."

John tried to sit up. Aeris smiled in support. Then his head spun like a drunken compass and his body slumped back to the floor.

"Damn, kid," Cid said. "If you're going to malinger, at least watch your head."

"Ow."

The world faded out.

When John next awoke, he lay on a padded bench. On the glassed-in bridge of the _Highwind,_ he watched as streams of clouds breezed by.

"Damn." Cid stood over him, lost in thought. "You awake now?"

Marlene - Barret's adopted daughter who reminded him of a tiny Tifa - spoke. "Kid sleeps hard. He didn't wake up. Even when I poked him." Something big rattled. A spear? Yea. Cid's spear.

"I wish I knew what was wrong with him," Aeris said.

"One minute he's posting those damned no smoking signs all over my ship, and next he's keeled over in my lap. Hell."

"I'm always so, so tired," John said.

"Maybe Nanaki could help you?" Aeris said.

"That beast? He's no doctor," Cid said.

"The doctor couldn't help, remember? Neither could I. Strange thing is, after my - ordeal - one would think I would be the exhausted one. But I feel so pumped up I could run a marathon."

"Times like this I wish Cloud were here," Cid said. "Even though he can be a real moron, he always seems to know what to do."

Where had Cloud gone? Oh yea. Sleepy Acres Recovery Home. John caught a vision of a quaint brick mansion perched above the seashore. "Nothing wrong with me," Cloud had insisted. "I just need my number." Sure. Lots of things weirder than to staring at the stars night after night mumbling "My number. What is my number?" But Cloud had agreed to the trip, though only after Tifa had promised the Home would give him a number.

John rolled his gaze to Marlene, the little black-haired girl, now almost six years old. Funny thing, this illness. He could neither stay awake nor fall asleep. If he closed his eyes, his head buzzed like an old microwave oven. If he tried to keep them open, his eyelids drooped like hound dog ears, daring him to sleep off this fever and awaken the next day, ready to make a fool of himself anew. He already owed Barret several meals.

Aeris had curtained off a section of the ceiling for him, in deference to his nearly translucent skin and his sun sensitive eyes. Aeris had lain on this bench herself during their mad rush back to the Forgotten Capital to try his wild plan to save her.

The plan had worked, hadn't it?

It must have, since here she stood, taking Marlene by the hand and leading her over to the window.

A new spell. A new materia orb none of them had seen before and had seen used only once. He had poured his heart into that spell. Perhaps he had poured his soul as well. For a moment he swore he had failed yet still, both he and Aeris pulled through.

Or so he had thought.

Had he transferred Aeris' wasting sickness onto himself? Had she felt just like this on that final trip? Not quite alive but not dead enough either? If true, he called it a fair trade. Aeris had a great destiny, whereas he, the pale Jenova -

"Call coming in, Captain." Lena Jones, an attractive communications tech and original member of the _Highwind's_ crew waved to get Cid's attention. Her black hair and caramel skin glistened in the sun. Barret had discovered the poor woman shackled to a table in the back of the engine room, where someone had thrashed her with a length of electrical cord until she had passed out. Apparently she had refused to perform her official ship duties, such as lap dancing for Shinra big wigs like Heidegger and Scarlet. Cid had dropped off Heidegger - along with the insane doctor Hojo - at Corel Prison, out in the desert where he hoped they would rot with the maggots in the trash under the Gold Saucer. As for Scarlet - she who had conducted the whipping - John had last seen her left hand (the only part of her that had survived the North Crater) floating in a jar in Lena's room.

"Aren't you going to tell me who it is?" Cid sidled over to the railing, peering down into the pit where the vampire-like Vincent Valentine liked to ride. A display screen the size of a pool table lit up with the furry face of Nanaki.

"Greetings," the red lion/dog creature said.

"Well now," Cid said. "What can we do for you this fine day?"

"How is our sick passenger faring?"

"I have this hacking cough that won't go away."

"I wasn't referring to you. I am asking about - "

"The kid's fine. Still loafing around but he felt lively enough to paste No Smoking signs around my ship this morning."

Nanaki's mouth opened to a smile.

Aeris handed Cid a silver tray with a steaming teacup. Cid coughed and thanked her.

"Maybe you should follow his advice?" Aeris said.

"Bah. Please tell me this is real tea. With real caffeine. Not those vile herbal concoctions you New Age types dream up."

"Real tea, Cid." Aeris shook her head. "The chamomile tea is for John to help him sleep." John caught the 'but you could use some too' tone in her voice.

"Sleep? All the kid does is sleep!"

"Restful sleep," Aeris said. "He sleeps, but does not rest."

"Hell. Now we have to worry about his dreams?" Cid took a noisy slurp and clinked the cup down. "Ah. Much better. Not as good as Shera makes but it still hits the spot.

Aeris shook her head and refilled his cup.

Nanaki spoke up. "How are you feeling, Aeris?"

"I have to feel well to put up with our grouchy captain here." She smiled, as did Lena. This looked like a morning routine, the crew trading off who got to play tea server. Though John noticed Barret always seemed to get out of tea duty by misplacing his prosthetic arm.

"Grandfather has made progress with his research in the Ancient Capital and wishes to return to Cosmo Canyon to report his findings. If you could give him a ride back here in the _Highwind_ we would much appreciate it."

"Ah, I was just enjoying my tea. You want me to be a damn air taxi service?"

Aeris said, "The good captain would be honored to give dear Bugenhagen a ride." She smiled. "Isn't that right?"

Cid snorted. "Hell. I was getting bored chasing around those damn Shinra tako things."

"I believe they call them Takeo fighters, not tako, which means 'octopus,'" Nanaki said. "Takeo fighters are fast and sleek but not armored. Yuffie would tell you Shinra stole the designs from Wutai."

"Goddamn things are too fast to hit with missiles and too crafty to get in range of small arms. Luckily those flying takos have no range on their weapons so we're safe as long as we stay away from populated areas. But the damned things sneak up on us when we stop to refuel."

"The elders might be able to help. They say they found a new secret, adapted to our desert climate and our refusal to use mako."

"Excuse me but I didn't understand a word of that." Cid took another drink of his tea.

"I will show you when you get here. I believe you will be pleased."

"Can it increase our range? The only safe places to refuel are Cosmo Canyon and Fort Condor. Shinra controls every damn place else."

"Grandfather will have an answer to that, too."

"Your Grandpappy is full of answers, isn't he?"

"Yes. He's Grandfather."

"Why of course. I'll go pick up old twirly beard now. That is, if my knot-head of a pilot can keep from dunking us in the drink. Hell. I'd love it if your Grandpappy could stop this cat and mouse game. I'm sick of being the damn mouse."

The screen went blank. Lena looked at him, a grin on her oval face.

"Captain, shall I notify - " Her words cut off as the _Highwind_ bucked to starboard. Lena grasped her console to keep from flying across the bridge. Cid invented some new curses as he clung to the railing, feet wedged to anchor himself to the floor. John, dumped from his bench again, rolled across the deck into Cid's railing. Aeris fell beside him, the hem of her dress flopping over his face. Out of nowhere, Fluffy screeched in to a perch on his chest, claws digging in for traction.

"You idiot!" Cid yelled nearby. "Who taught you to fly, you worthless piece of - "

His rant cut off when the ship pitched back to port. Again John rolled across the deck, face now tangled in Aeris' dress, her knee banging his chin while her boot mashed into his ribs. At least it knocked Fluffy off, though John swore that demon cat took a bite out of his ankle as a farewell gift. He and Aeris broke apart when they struck his bench.

"Ow!" His head hit the wall hard enough to see Cloud's number printed in all the stars.

The _Highwind_ finally leveled out, giving them a few good-bye jiggles for luck. John pulled a pink strip of fabric from around his throat, looking up to see Aeris and Fluffy staring down at him, the cat with her fuzzy fore paws extended.

"Wake up sleepyhead," Aeris said.

Fluffy yawned, careful to display her full endowment of teeth.

"Sorry about the dress."

"Needed replacing anyway."

"Ever thought of branching into different colors? Yellow maybe?"

"I thought I might experiment with dark pink."

"Are you sure that's not over the top? What if someone mistakes the color for magenta?"

"At times I have to be daring."

"As for you." John looked at Fluffy. "Keep those claws out of my body."

"Meow?" Her head lifted in a 'who, me?' gesture. Aeris scratched behind the cat's ears.

"As if you'd ever bare a claw in front of Aeris."

From the far end of the bridge, Cid barked out his commands. "That's it. That's it. slow, easy moves. The last one nearly jerked my damn arm off."

"Yes, Captain," said a timid voice of one who knew of his future involved sweeping out the chocobo stalls.

"Get us to the Ancient Capital in one piece, all right?"

"Yes, Captain."

Cid grunted. He walked toward the center of the bridge. He rummaged through his pack and swore.

"Anyone got a Restore materia? Mine's back in my quarters."

"Come over here." Aeris waved him over. "You too, Lena. I can tell by the way you're holding your arm that you're hurt."

They complied. Aeris drew herself up. Holding her dress together with one hand, she bowed her head. John felt a warm wind blow, soothing his aches and banishing his pains. He also, to his fragile hope, felt a charge of energy prick the back of his neck. Could his recovery have finally started? Before the North Crater, he had an ability to store other people's magical effects for use at a later date. (Blue magic, Nanaki called it.) He also received unwanted visions off nearly every object he touched. Yet since the mad rush back to the Forgotten Capital, he had not performed any of his useful tricks. Unable to do much but sleep, and not very well at that.

"That Healing Wind is amazing," Lena said. "I feel like a new person."

"So do I," John said, "though in my case it could be amnesia."

Little Marlene ran up the steps to the bridge. "Fluffy. There you are, silly kitty."

"Mrrrp?" The white Persian lifted her head as if sniffing the air.

"You don't fool me," John said. "I know there's a wolverine inside that ball of fuzz."

"No, Fluffy is a sweetie. Aren't you?"

"Meow?" Fluffy daintily leapt into Marlene's arms.

"Yep, a sweetie," Marlene said. "I miss Aunt Tifa."

"So do I, Marlene," Aeris said. "We will see her again soon. Cloud too, I hope."

John pulled himself back onto the bench, feeling as if he had just re-scaled Gaia's Cliff.

"Damn," Cid said. "If I hadn't seen how that cat went after that Nestor creep in the North Crater, I'd believe that sweet, innocent act."

"She misses Sheila," John said, referring to his former neighbor in Midgar, the cat's real owner - if a cat could ever have an owner.

"She seems to have taken to Marlene," Aeris said.

Lucky for me, John thought, hoping for an escape from the midnight claw massages.

"All right." Cid hovered over his pilot. "We're due to pick up Bugenhagen in the Lost Capital in three hours. Try not to pitch us into the drink."

"Yes. Yes, Captain."

Yet another wave of fatigue washed over John and this time he chose not to fight it. Vaguely he felt Aeris catch him as he slumped toward the bench but this time, to his relief, he did manage to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter II**

 **Boomers at the Beach**  
 _"I cleaned his clock in that dojo. Think you and your lunk-heads can do better, tweezer-legs?" - Yuffie_

"You want _another_ rum punch special, Miss Yuffie?"

"Make this one a double," the bronzed girl said from her beach chair.

"Your father would not approve, Miss Yuffie."

"Look, I have to meet Godo this afternoon, okay? I need to get in the right frame of mind for it."

"But you are only sixteen, Miss Yuffie."

"Seventeen next month."

"As you wish, Miss Yuffie."

Yuffie flicked him away with a wave, reaching for her tanning oil to apply another layer. She had to admit, her position as the daughter of Godo the lazy Wutai Emperor had its perks, such as ordering a stuffy butler to carry around a haystack of girly things so she could bask on the beach, though that squirmy Portek had a knack of sticking to her like a warm wad of chewing gum. She smoothed the oil over her legs, noting how her bright yellow swimsuit contrasted with her brown skin. While not as flesh revealing as the things Tifa liked to wear, the suit fit her form enough to cause most young men to pause, their necks swiveling like turkeys, and one of them to stumble into a lifeguard tower.

"I could learn to like this." She applied lotion to her stomach. "These Wutai beaches are far better than that tourist trap at Costa del Sol."

Iko Village didn't get as hot, either, though today's sun bore down hard enough to raise a shimmer in the air. "Gotta get closer to the water. Hey Portek!"

"Miss Yuffie?"

"Carry my chair, down there. Will you? There's a nice man."

"The Emperor will hear of this, Miss Yuffie."

She spread her arms and allowed the butler to lift her, chair and all. "Great. Now face me, ten degrees to the right. I want to see Da-Chao."

Her father, who to his credit had managed to pry this beach back from Shinra's "Wutai Mutual Cooperation Sphere," had declared today "Wutai Kite Day," causing the locals to stream onto this crescent of sand with all manner of flying gadgets. Yuffie smiled at the top of the sacred mountain, Da-Chao, as she imagined it smiling back down on her over a copse of cedar trees. She also saw three black towers of that ugly new Shinra base. No one could tell her what those Shinra ants did in there, but she suspected Godo knew. As she watched, a pair of Takeo fighters took off from a nearby runway, flying over the beach town with a shriek that made all the kites duck and tremble. Arrogant Shinra pigs.

"Here you go, Miss Yuffie." Portek handed her a drink with a kite flying umbrella in it. "And might I say, Miss Yuffie, your outfit looks stunning today. Were I but a few years younger - "

"You'd be forty-five." She stretched, lacing her fingers under the arch of her right foot and straightening her leg. She pulled back on her toes until her elbows rested on her knee. She groaned at the strain in her calf.

"Miss Yuffie, is this, an appropriate display? Your young body, in public?"

"Beat it." Yuffie switched legs, leaning farther into the stretch, moaning more than she needed. Could she could get that stuffed butler's heartbeat to race like that of a mouse? She smiled up at him. "Don't you need to turn up your nose at someone?"

He muttered but turned to plod away. She resisted the urge to summon a mini-Leviathan from her materia collection to speed him along. She had learned some new tricks fooling around with those precious materia orbs, including micro-summoning, which she performed by inserting a single gil coin between the orb and the edge of its socket, making it slightly loose. A tiny summon didn't have much use in battle but came in handy when you needed just enough ice from Shiva to freshen your drink.

For an actual summon, you had to tug on the materia just so, meaning if some weasel stole her weapon, they would get only mini-summons unless they removed the gil. She chuckled.

Yuffie had another innovation in her armlet. She had used that new Meld materia they had recovered in the North Crater to join a Poison with an Elemental into a single gem of brilliant aquamarine. As a result, so far today she had downed six rum punches - and she knew Portek made them extra strong as he would love to report to her father that she had passed out drunk - yet still her head remained clear as the Lifestream. "Dream on, baggy pants."

Wait a minute.

A movement reflected in her drinking glass. She slid her free arm into her bag and pulled out a compact. Leaning into a hamstring stretch, she pretended to check her makeup. (She rarely wore any but this morning she imposed on Portek, demanding he choose between Sunset Blush and Rascally Rose at each step.)

Speaking of whom, where had he gone? Ah. Up there chatting with a pair of Shinra soldiers like old drinking buddies, throwing a not so subtle glance in her direction. The trio split apart, the blue suited Shinra drones fanning out onto the beach while Portek crossed his arms, leaning back with a smile. Yuffie yawned, arching her back nearly into a hoop, letting her hand drift in range of the oversize shuriken she had planted in the sand. Shuriken, too modest a term for a weapon the size and shape of a sharpened garbage can lid, and it had seen her through plenty of rumbles. Through slit eyes she spied on the doofus who tried a crafty approach, watching as he eased out a billy club while sauntering in a zigzag course. Fly casual, loser. The other trooper took a direct course. Straight toward her. Wow. His limp looked familiar.

While Mr. Limp closed, Crafty picked up his pace, though he paused to kick sand over a picnicking family. A pair of toddlers started to wail. Gripping her shuriken, Yuffie glanced back to ensure Mr. Limp hadn't put on a burst of speed. (Shinra cretins did that at unwelcome times.) When Crafty kicked over an old lady's chair, Yuffie uncoiled to her feet, whipping her shuriken straight at Crafty's chest.

He brought up his club to block it. Her shuriken sheared his stick in half, though deflecting her aim enough for him to escape with a dented helmet. Yuffie caught her returning weapon and pivoted to face her other attacker, only to feel a dart sink into her shoulder. She squeaked in surprise. Her weapon arm drooped, muscles growing numb. Soon enough though, she felt the warmth from her aqua materia kick in, her strength roaring back with her anger.

She yanked out the dart and flung it into the sand. With a whoop, she drew upon the same materia to summon a Bio spell, except the attack fizzled out into a glob of green goo. The mass plopped onto the sand with a whimper. Yuffie stared down at it, nonplussed. She heard laughter from Mr. Limp.

"Hey. You're Gus the Groper. I knew I recognized that limp."

"It's Sir Simon to you," the man sneered. "Carmine knighted me, and I was never named Gus. I owe you big time for that kick at the North Crater."

"You liked that kick in the nads? I see you wear a crotch guard now. Coward."

"Make this easy on yourself. Surrender, and I'll do the body search myself. I promise you'll enjoy it."

"Oh, grossness!" She kicked a shower of sand in his face. "The only thing you'll be searching for is your teeth in the back of your skull!"

Simon sputtered, pulling out an electromag rod.

"Turks!" Yuffie screamed. "You're a bastard Turk too?"

"Please." Sir Simon tried to look pompous in his toy helmet. "Call us Xee."

Yuffie smacked his helmet with the flat of her shuriken. She pivoted toward Crafty but found him beset by a mob wielding chairs and shovels. They forced him into a retreat to the lifeguard tower. As for Portek - where had that slime ball hid? Her eyes narrowed. A dozen more Shinra troops streamed toward the beach, their blue helmets bobbing like amorous ducks.

"Heads up everyone," she said. "We have company. The letter Zee."

"Xee. With an X!"

"Still spells maggots!" someone yelled. "Shinra maggots!"

"Yea," someone else said. "Push those Shinra maggots into the sea!"

Yuffie sighed. _Now_ the revolution broke out?

"Death to Shinra dogs!" A teenage boy pulled a clumsy sand rake from the lifeguard tower. The aluminum tool didn't look sturdy enough to scare a poodle but she liked his attitude. She hefted her own weapon.

The scent of burning rubber turned Yuffie's head. Her summoned green glob had managed to ooze up the beach enough to suck off one of Simon's boots. The man began to pinwheel and scream.

"Looks like you found a new friend, Gus!"

"Help! Help!" He had unclasped his boot buckles but could not seem to pull his foot free. The blob happily lapped at his other boot.

"Holy Da-Chao, am I really going to rescue that creep?" She sighed, closing the gap with two leaps, hooking Simon under his arms. With a grunt she heaved him from his mired boots. His feet popped free with an uncorking sound, drizzling a trail of black tar in their wake. Ungrateful bastard would probably send her a bill for those boots.

"Halt!" A soldier with a megaphone had climbed the lifeguard tower. "You are all under arrest for disturbing the peace, assaulting an officer, and destroying company property."

Yuffie glanced at her hapless beach chair as it also fell victim to the green blob.

"And harboring a terrorist fugitive. You have ten seconds to deliver the Avalanche terrorist to us or we go in after her. One. Two. Three."

"Hey dorkus!" Yuffie rose to her full height. She had even grown a centimeter since she had first encountered Cloud and his group Avalanche. "If I deliver myself to you, do I get to collect the reward?"

"Take it easy. Don't make any sudden moves."

"All right everybody," Yuffie said. "You heard the Dork Chief. Stay down, and I'll handle - "

The crowd on the beach let out a Wutai war whoop and charged.

"Or, we can attack?" Her fingers snaked around her Leviathan materia.

Dork Chief turned to his troops. "On my mark, fire into - " A blue wall of water slammed him from behind. His minions popped off a few shots into the towering blue snake but their bullets fell off like toothpicks. Leviathan, furious at the enemies of its patron land of Wutai - or perhaps miffed at having Yuffie summon him so many times in his mini form to scrub and wax floors - surged larger than ever, taller than the Temple of Five Gods. He opened his mouth to blow a flurry of spray over the squadron, washing the platoon back half a city block.

The crowd cheered, though checking to ensure they hadn't hung their laundry too low. But soon, a pair of Shinra personnel carriers rolled up and pushed the crowd away. A few frenzied souls rushed forward in a vain attempt to flip the vehicles over. When a gun turret powered up, Yuffie blew it off with a Bolt spell. However, green bursts of energy soon squelched the crowd with Sleep spells. Even Yuffie fought to stay awake. Others out of range dispersed like smoke in the wind.

"Dramatic as always, Miss Yuffie," Portek said, walking into the group. "I believe your vacation trip just ended. Sadly I cannot deal with you personally because your father wishes to reprimand you himself."

Yuffie weighed the pros and cons of dropping ten tons of Leviathan on top of that smug grin. But, as she could barely lift her arm, she sighed and lowered her weapon.

"What's the old man want with me now?"

"He wants you to show him some respect."

"Quit your yappin'. I cleaned his clock in that dojo. Think you and your lunk-heads can do better, tweezer-legs?"

"It's because of your father, Miss Yuffie, that these 'lunk-heads' haven't removed yours."

"Well, I, ahem." Yuffie considered. "Tell him thanks, but I could have rolled 'em."

"Miss Yuffie, if you would kindly take a seat?"

Yuffie, climbing into the motorized jitney, nearly fell back out when two more Takeo fighters screeched overhead. Portek caught her by the arm.

"Hey! Let go!"

She felt a sharp slap on her face. She growled and tried to twist free.

"That's for ruining my boots!" Simon said, backing quickly out of range.

"Why you - "

"Miss Yuffie. I must insist." He dropped her in her seat and snapped the harness.

"But he - "

"Your father will handle everything. At least, he had better. Because I insisted on delivering you in one piece."

The jitney took off, pinning her to her seat. The sleep magic overcame her, draining the remaining strength from her limbs. And besides, Portek held her shuriken.

Another pair of Takeo planes raced off. Searching for plum poachers? Holding off the mighty Wutai air force, which consisted of half a dozen refitted crop dusters?

"Old Man, you'd better have some answers for me. Don't let me catch you lounging on your futon."

But she hadn't said that out loud. She had already fallen off to sleep, where she dreamed of the mother she only remembered in her dreams.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter III**

 **Brightstone**  
 _"I remember having to cover my ears so my brain wouldn't leak out in a glowing pudding. So yea. Lucky." - John Philip Sorea_

"Ho-ho-hoo," the grandfatherly voice said. "I found much knowledge locked in the Ancient city and I believe our friend John has provided the key."

John cracked his eyelids. The floating, legless man with his gnome-like long beard hovered inside his circle of listeners. The _Highwind's_ electric panels beeped over the background thrum of the rotors.

"As to John's condition, well," Bugenhagen bobbed over to him, the air whooshing in his wake. "I believe I stumbled onto the answer to that as well. Ho-ho-hoo, he and I have a mutual friend."

"What do you mean?" Aeris said.

"John," Bugenhagen said. "Can you see Aeris' aura?"

John squinted, frowned. He shook his head.

"Never mind. Aeris told me that when the two of you were alone in the Ancient Capital, you spoke with her deceased mother, Ifalna?"

"Yes. Take it as you will." John rolled onto his side, an effort that felt like kneading ten kilos of bread dough. "Remember, you're talking about me here? I may see dead people, but I also had a pet chair follow me around Nibelheim." My, he felt tired. Just piecing together that sentence made him feel as if he had penned a master's thesis.

"Ho-ho-hoo! What would you say if I told you I, too, have spoken with Ifalna?"

"I'd say I have some spare medication in my cabin."

"You?" Aeris said. "You spoke with my mother?"

"And a good talker she is. About talked my ears off."

"You had a close call, then," John said. "You can't afford to lose any more body parts."

Aeris glared at him. Bugenhagen, however, did not seem to take offense. "Do you recall, John, finding something called a Brightstone?

"I remember a giant flying seahorse who blew a storm of leaves around me. Also a pink puffball who told me I would die in sixty seconds. Luckily Aeris clocked it with her staff."

"Boundfats," Aeris said. "Pesky things, if you don't take care of them quickly."

"I'm not talking about a creature. Do you recall a glowing stone sitting just inside the base camp?"

"About the size of a watermelon? Oh yes." John yawned. "That thing darn near killed me."

"Near as I can tell, it acts as a data storage device. A library of the Ancients. Not unlike a computer, though you make the connection mentally. The stone inside professor Gast's base camp is the only one I could access, though I found several other active stones. Perhaps the Gast stone serves as a gateway to the others. Ifalna, when she was here, ho-ho-hoo! I'd better explain."

Bugenhagen did one of his bobbing genie circles and continued. "After Hojo killed Gast and captured Ifalna, she escaped from his clutches three times, the final one when she took you, Aeris, to Elmyra's. Of Ifalna's first escape I know little, except it was brief and she returned on her own. I am more fascinated with her second, more daring escape."

"I suppose she didn't take Aeris with her that time?" John said.

"Oh no. Aeris would have been about four years old, too young to travel with stealth. Ho-ho-hoo, she left Aeris in the care of someone she trusted to keep her out of Hojo's clutches. But Shinra recaptured Ifalna and brought her back. But not before she used the Lunar Harp to close off the Ancient Capital to Shinra. I know Hojo could never get through the Sleeping Forest after that. What is so funny, John?"

"I'm thinking, if you had a floating carpet, with your arms folded like that, people would start asking you for wishes."

"Knock it off, John," Aeris said.

"As if you aren't thinking the same thing."

"Ho-ho-hoo, what are you wishing for now?"

"I'd love to make it through a day without falling asleep six times before lunch."

"I believe your wish will soon come true."

John sat up. "Really?" He sank as a wave of fatigue slammed his through his gut.

"Ifalna, as I was saying, visited the Ancient Capital. She spent some time here. And somehow, she managed to project her personality and memories, or a copy of them, into the Brightstone."

"Stuck in a rock?" John stared at the sky through the _Highwind's_ glass ceiling. "Leave it to me to find the world's only sentient rock."

"You are a lucky individual."

"I remember having to cover my ears so my brain wouldn't leak out in a glowing pudding. So yea. Lucky."

"To be able to contact a Brightstone without equipment or mental filters? It must have been an thrilling experience."

"If you get your thrills puking up blood, then yes."

"Using a filter, I could touch the stone safely, but I could not receive the clarity of information you undoubtedly did."

"Aeris, tell this man what I looked like when you found me."

"Ho-ho-hoo! Don't you want to hear what Ifalna told me?"

Bugenhagen, John saw, held a small framed picture of Aeris' mother in his hands. Apparently when Gast had visited Cosmo Canyon long ago, he had shown off pictures of his new girlfriend.

"When the Crisis fell from the sky, the evil Jenova that is, she at first tried to win the Cetra's trust. Whether this was genuine or simply a play to get close enough to release her Cetra Plague virus, no one will know. In either case, you all are aware of her ability to shift shapes, to project illusions, and to dominate minds. In addition, it is said she performed miracles of healing."

"Cheap trick," John said. "If she hangs around Cetra any length of time, she will absorb enough miracles of healing to fool herself."

"True as far as it goes, but the Brightstone contains an account of a young Cetra boy who died in a mountain climbing accident, dead even beyond the Cetra healing. Jenova appeared and took the boy to a mountain temple where she performed a night long ritual, after which the boy arose, returning to his family to become a fortune teller, at least until he died in another climbing accident. Of Jenova, it is said she went into seclusion for a time."

"I've never understood the urge to climb mountains," John said. "Is it the thrill of falling through the air or the rush of smashing your head on jagged rocks?"

"Do you see what this means?" Bugenhagen bobbed like a happy puppy.

"Yes. When we climbed Gaia's Cliff to get at Sephiroth last month? We were out of our freaking minds."

"Jenova may have used part of her life force to return the Cetra boy to life."

Aeris started to talk but closed her mouth.

"He became a fortune teller, huh?" John looked at the others. "Sounds like he got a little Jenova in return."

"How long did Jenova stay in hibernation?" Aeris said.

"It must have been a splitting headache of a ritual," John said. "Sounds like it messed the kid up though. So you think I did that ritual with Aeris?"

"Ho-ho-hoo! If so, I may have a remedy."

John propped himself on his elbow, bracing himself while the world fizzed in and out. He looked at Aeris. She sat against the _Highwind's_ railing, glowing with an inner light. He wanted to reach out to her but his arms felt heavy as iron.

Aeris stepped forward and hung her head.

"Wait," John said. "Don't you dare feel guilty. If I gave you a piece of myself to keep you alive, it was my choice. And, even if I am as useful as a human-shaped paperweight, I regret nothing. Did you see Yuffie's face when she discovered you weren't dead? I mean, did you see her face when you died?"

"Pshaw," Cid said from the controls. "Don't mention that brat. All those flying tako problems started when I dropped her off at Wutai."

Barret, looking as if he just spent hours pumping cast iron skillets at the gym, said, "You mentioned a solution?"

"Ho-ho-hoo, so I did. As you know, people flock to Cosmo Canyon to bathe in the healing energy of the Eternal Flame. So could you."

"I'm not sure I want to be roasted on a spit," John said.

"Oh no. It's a spiritual journey. You may even receive a vision quest. Some supplicants get a message from the canyon itself."

"Oh great," John said. "You realize, the Planet and I don't always see eye-to-rock. When a Jenova moves in, property values go way down."

"I haven't heard anyone claim the Planet talks directly through the flame," Bugenhagen said, "though it may be different for a Cetra or Jenova. Ifalna, rest her soul, is sure you will not be harmed."

"I wonder how she got from the stone into the water," John said.

"Excuse me?"

"Never mind." John recalled a memory, how Ifalna had appeared to him in the waters of the Ancient Lake to give him critical advice: stop acting like an idiot. "I trust her."

Aeris looked up at him and smiled.

"So Aeris," he said. "Have any pieces of furniture talked to you about politics? I have my meds if you need some."

"I haven't noticed anything unusual." She flexed her hands. "Though I do feel, more alert."

"If you start telling fortunes you'll put Cait Sith out of business."

Barret snorted. "How _is_ Reeve coming along with his mechanical taxidermy?"

Lena spoke up. "I talked with him today. He says he's worked a few kinks out of Professor Gast's masterpiece. It turns out Gast had bigger plans for the robot. He sounded excited about it."

"Cait Sith was a present for Ifalna," John said.

The others looked at him.

"Just a guess," he said. "I think."

"You creep me out, kid," Barret said.

"Speaking of guesses, anyone here believe that Cetra Lazarus didn't have help falling off the mountain the second time?"

Barret swore. "John, you don't know - "

"You start telling people their wife is sleeping with the milkman or they'll die in a terrible plague, they look for a nearby bridge to toss you over. Trust me. I speak from experience."

"That's, that's terrible," Aeris said.

"People don't like to hear the truth."

"I don't see how this matters to us," Barret said.

"True enough. Maybe that old Jenova started out as a sensitive soul. No matter. Evil is still evil. We might as well try out the Cosmo Candle theory. For now, I need a nap."

Aeris gave him a new pillow. He lay back, listening to Cid bark his orders.

"If you all are done yapping like Yuffie and her girlfriends, I'll get us underway."

John slept so soundly he had no hint the _Highwind_ had fallen under attack until he found himself draped over Barret's good arm.

"I know I said hard-a-port," Cid said, "but I didn't mean _that_ hard-a-port!" For some reason, Cid said this while doing a handstand on the railing.

"We took a hit to our stabilizer rudder, Captain," his pilot Darian said, perched high in his seat.

"Mayday!" Lena worked the radio. "Under attack, fifty clicks out of Cosmo Canyon. Do you copy?"

"Here they come for another pass. Shall I fire the jets?"

Cid's feet swung back and forth in the air. Barret's arm held John down so hard he felt his legs thrust upward.

"Where is Aeris?" Barret said.

"Crew's quarters," Lena said. "She just told me Marlene is safe. Bugenhagen is holding her."

John felt Barret relax.

"Oh, my God," Darian said. "They fired a blast of flachettes. They tried to sheer off our rotor blades. But, heh, the rotors weren't there, Captain."

Cid, perhaps for the drama, decided to stand on only one arm. John heard a metallic shriek as something flew by outside, way too close.

"You got the collective to reverse? Never thought I'd feel lucky having a moron for a pilot."

"Thank you sir."

Lena spoke up. "Captain, Nanaki wants to know if we are able to perform an emergency landing."

"Land? Land? We can't even freakin' fly!"

Suddenly a black dart screamed by overhead. John glanced up, expecting to see sky, but saw the red and gold landscape he remembered from Cosmo Canyon.

Something slammed the _Highwind_ hard. Lena screamed. The desert above began to spin and draw closer.

"Son-of-a- _ow!"_ Barret almost crumpled when John's knee struck him in the cheek. "Damn Jenova, I'd like to take the rest of your life force - "

"Hey," John said. "We're upside down."

"Superb observation, kid." Cid pinwheeled the air with his one free hand. "Didya think I was doing handstands to improve the crew's morale?"

Before John could reply the ship abruptly rolled upright. Cid let out a bellow as he crashed to the deck.

"Ah! I think I broke something. There's a flying tako on our tail. Give it an aft missile!"

Darian punched a button. John heard a series of shrieks.

"Not all our missiles, you idiot!"

With a low boom, an orange rose bloomed behind them. John could almost feel the heat of it.

"Direct hit," Darian said. "The other two Takeos are pulling back, Captain."

Lena said, "Captain, three Cosmo helicopters are approaching. They claim to be our escort."

Cid let out a sigh. "Take us down, Darian. In one piece, if you please? Damn, I need a smoke."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter IV**

 **Party Time**  
 _"So. Someone is chloroforming sheep?" - Cloud_

"Cloud?"

They sat on a wrought-iron bench facing the ocean. Tifa turned to see the goatee faced Reeve approaching the pair of them.

"How is he doing?" Reeve asked.

"Better." Tifa smiled. "Much better."

Cloud looked up at him as well. For the first time Tifa could recall, Cloud's face looked streaked with tears.

"He is remembering," she said. "He needed to know he is a real person with a real past, not a Hojo-built Sephiroth clone."

"I knew he wasn't a Sephiroth clone. That was Hojo playing his sick games."

"Where is our favorite scientist now?" Tifa said. "Last I saw him he was curled up in the North Crater, screaming about how he was glad he wasn't a squirrel."

"Still in Corel Prison. Solitary confinement. Dio checks in on him personally."

"And the others?"

"Vincent called me from Nibelheim. He had been looking into Hojo's last notes and found some clues about an ongoing problem. He said he was flying to Costa del Sol. The _Highwind_ was attacked by Shinra and forced down near Cosmo Canyon. Everyone's okay, including Marlene. They say the _Highwind_ actually flew upside down to avoid Shinra's weapons."

"Cid is an amazing pilot," Tifa said.

"Or that Jenova boy was flying," Cloud said.

"Cloud." Tifa turned to him. "You're with us."

"Of course I'm with you, Teef," he said. He placed his arm over her shoulders but continued to gaze at the ocean.

"How about Yuffie?" Tifa said, feeling awkward. "Did she go back to Wutai?"

"Word is she started a riot."

"That's Yuffie for you," Cloud said.

Tifa looked at him and smiled.

"Tifa," he said.

"Yes?"

"I, I would just like to say - "

"Yes?"

"I, I really, I, I - "

Tifa sat silent, tensed.

"I really appreciate, all you've helped me these last few weeks, and I, I, I . . ."

"Hello," came a cheerful clown's voice behind them. Tifa scowled. Cloud looked both irritated and relieved.

"Hello. I'm Cait Sith. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"You've already made our acquaintance," Tifa said curtly.

The robotic cat, who now sported a gentleman's cane and top hat, bowed atop its bouncing, stuffed moogle. The beast's flippers jigged below him, pitching sprays of sand onto Tifa's bare legs.

"Would you like me to tell your fortune? Do you prefer dice, the slots, or my newest toy, roulette?"

"Not the roulette," Reeve said. "I have not turned it on because I have yet to perfect it."

"Did you know," Cait Sith said, waltzing from one flipper to another, "there are reports of a fearsome creature attacking farms and resort homes near Costa del Sol?"

"Fearsome creature?" Tifa said. "Worst threat I remember were those ganglions, though only if you thought too deeply. As floating painted eggs, their trick was to baffle anyone who tried to figure out how they fit into the local ecology."

"Giant eggs with painted eyes." Cloud brushed sand off Tifa's lap. "I lost to one in Battle Square, remember? My weapon was broken and my materia gone but I had plenty of potions so I figured, no sweat, right? Next thing I knew, it tried to turn me to stone. Barret laughed so hard I'm surprised he didn't wet his pants."

"Poor Barret," Tifa said. "So Cait, tell us about this creature. It will do Cloud good to get out."

"Do you feel up to it?" Reeve asked.

"I've been messed up for years," Cloud said. "Ever since Sephiroth destroyed my town and killed my mother. Then Hojo scrambled my mind further. It turns out my memories were confused with those of Zack, my buddy who busted us out of Hojo's lab. After Shinra killed him, I took up his sword and, became him."

"To think, all those years ago, you were in Nibelheim after all," Tifa said. "You should not have been ashamed to show your face."

Cloud cleared his throat. "I'm ready to go. Thanks to Tifa here." He smiled at her, but when she met his eyes he looked down.

"What kind of creature are we talking about?" Tifa said.

"Reports are sketchy." Cait Sith finally stopped bouncing. "It only attacks at night."

"You mean like a vampire?"

"Yes, but not as you might expect. No one has seen it but they might hear animals making a commotion. By next morning, they may find a whole flock of sheep in a coma."

"A coma? Not dead?"

"No. Though predators might find them easy prey. But get this. One farmer even found a group of comatose wolves in with his sleeping sheep."

"So," Cloud tried to hide a grin. "Someone is chloroforming sheep?"

"I hacked into Shinra's records." Cait started to bounce again. Tifa had to shield her eyes from the occasional spray of sand. "I found a memo from President Rufus himself. It was a proposal to give you, Cloud, a full pardon if you handle the situation in Costa del Sol. I told Reeve and he suggested you might want to jump on it before Rufus can call in Xee."

"Who?"

"You haven't heard? The Turks renamed themselves in new public relations move."

"That squirrel of a president has something up his sleeve," Tifa said. "I'll bet there's more going on here than sleepy cows."

"Full pardon." Cloud snorted. "For all of Avalanche? I suppose not."

"Just for you," Reeve said. "Though I should be able to convince him to add Tifa. Barret, however, will still need to answer for the reactor bombings. I decided to give you advance notice so you could check out the situation, find out if it's a trap."

"More like, what kind of trap," Tifa said.

"Suppose we take his deal," Cloud said. "Can you get Shinra to stop that Promised Land nonsense? Will they stop using mako energy? How about stopping the attacks on the _Highwind_ for starters?"

"I have limited influence on Rufus, though he is easier to approach with both Heidegger and Scarlet out of the way."

"I can't believe you still work for that man," Tifa said.

"Sometimes the best way to change things is from the inside."

"And I," Cait Sith said, "will keep watch on the Turks. Or as they now call themselves, Xee. If anything starts to move, it will be with them. I'll go in disguise."

"As what?" Tifa said. "A giant mouse?"

"An officer." Cait did a twirl, flinging a splash of sand on all three of them. "I can look just like Palmer. Before he got hit by that truck, that is."

Reeve said, "They say someone in Shinra devised a new materia called Palmer's Terror. I'm not sure what it does, however."

"It can't be as good as the one John found," Tifa said. "Little Bo Peep? He saved my life by summoning that giant sheep."

"Thank you for the heads up," Cloud said. He stood and flexed his arms. "I'm ready for some action. Even if the only threat is a band of cow tippers. After all, I did take up Zack's sword so I might as well honor him with it."

* * *

"Miss Yuffie, I must protest. you are not of age to enter this bar."

"I'm Godo's daughter. They'll serve me, Portek. Now hold my coat like a good butler."

"Perhaps so, but is this wise? At this time of night?"

"What if I want to start a bar brawl?"

"Miss Yuffie, I must insist."

"Are you Godo's daughter? No, you're his daughter's stuffy servant. Now make sure no one steals my weapon or the materia will come out of your salary."

"You don't have your weapon, Miss Yuffie."

"Then make sure no one steals my parasol."

Under her jacket, Yuffie wore an emerald leotard. More clothing than she had worn to the beach, but hardly a formal gown. She looked as if she had just dropped in from a gymnastics workout, which of course she had. She hadn't bothered to shower, either.

They made their way across the half filled room to the bar, where Yuffie planted herself on an empty stool.

"Miss Yuffie, consider your father's honor."

"He wouldn't even see me! The old man who never leaves his dojo? He promises to meet with me, to give me some answers why Shinra is flying those noisy planes day and night, but where is he? No show. Not even a note. Just a sputtering Chekhov saying Godo was called away on a vital appointment. Like I'm not vital?"

"Miss Yuffie - "

"How many other daughters does he have!"

Portek put his hand on her elbow but she jerked herself away, slamming both hands on the bar. "Give me six straight shots of sake. And a plum brandy chaser."

"Miss Yuffie!"

"Look. I discovered I have the materia of summoning green goo. Want me to try it out on you?"

Portek shook his head. "I tried to warn you. I tried." He shuffled his way toward the back of the bar where people gathered to smoke clove cigarettes. "We should have stuck to the Turtle Paradise," he said over his shoulder.

Yuffie downed the first sake so fast it barely made her materia armlet tingle. The second one she decided to savor, taking a sip into her mouth and -

"Ak!" She coughed, sputtering over the bar. "Wh-what? This stuff tastes like lighter fluid! How could you serve this?"

"Easy," the bar tender, Ichiro - it seemed every bar in Wutai had an Ichiro, and Yuffie knew this one had a nail bat within reach - spoke calmly. "Miss Yuffie, you are very young, and I don't believe your father would approve."

"Stow it." She snatched the third glass and tossed back the contents. "Ohh!" Her eyes opened wide and she blinked away the tears. "Now that's - "

"Miss Yuffie." Ichiro moved the other glasses out of reach. "I must insist. If I let you get hurt, your father would - "

"Stop talking about my father! I need those drinks. I'll be okay. I have my materia." Her heart skipped a beat as she groped for her Wizard Bracelet, spinning it around until she saw the open materia slot. "My materia! Some drip stole my - oh my Gawd, I'm gonna kill my butler. What happened to that stuffed moose head, anyway?"

She tottered off the stool, pulling out way too much gil but throwing it on the bar anyway. She turned, accidentally kicking the stool into a nearby table where four tattooed toughs engaged in a flower dominoes game. She took a step, feeling more steady, because nothing like having her materia lifted could sober up a furious girl. The growl began in the back of her throat. By now everyone in the bar fixed their eyes on her, including the four who stood amidst their fallen dominoes.

"Who took my Poison materia!"

The lead domino thug, who had a flaming scorpion tattooed on his neck, took a step back, his feet scraping the floor with dominoes. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides.

"Wanna say something to me?" Yuffie yelled.

"You, you oughtn'ta done that, Miss Yuffie. We was having ourselves a good game, ma'am."

"I, I'm sorry, I - "

A gunshot brought the bar to attention. Yuffie stiffened.

Four Shinra blues marched into the room. Boos announced their arrival.

"Shinra pigs," someone muttered, prompting the guards to level their guns. A fifth soldier strutted in, helmet off to reveal his blond hair.

"Oh. Gus the Groper," Yuffie said, feeling adrenaline turn to boredom.

"No. Sir Simon, of Xee," said the man, who strolled up and punched her in the stomach.

The entire bar gasped. Yuffie, falling for his sucker punch like a baffled schoolgirl, still didn't react until a blue had seized each arm.

"You need to learn respect." Simon slugged her stomach again, sending her keeling forward to spit on his boots. The blues hauled her upright. Simon grinned.

"Hold her arms out. Don't let her squirm away."

Yuffie struggled, forcing the flunkies to hold on for dear life, but hold on they did.

"How about an anatomy lesson? As you recall, this is your stomach."

"Ughh!"

Xee Simon rubbed his fist. "Rock hard abs. Pretty good for a girl? Down here you have your small intestine."

"Ooerch!"

She kicked at him but it only inflamed the pain, and anyway the toad-sucker dodged.

"Struck a nerve, no? Up here is your liver."

"Gyarrk!"

She tried to kick again but she couldn't make her leg move. She trembled, drawing in ragged breaths.

"Back to your stomach."

"No - uhh!" The world turned red with pain. Her body went slack; the minions' grip loosened so she strove to underplay her struggle. Any advantage would do. Now if only she had a plan.

"Let's work our way up, shall we? Here we find your ribs."

She screamed at the double punch. Something cracked inside her. Tears blurred her vision. Simon nattered on again; she braced herself but no blow came. She blinked to clear her eyes, finding Simon Xee wearing a chair for a hat.

"Oughtn't treat Miss Yuffie like that," Big Domino said.

"You oaf. Shoot him."

A commotion ensued; a couple shots hit the ceiling but a trio of bikers brought down his spare minions. One of Yuffie's handlers made the mistake of going for his gun. Yuffie jerked her right arm free and repaid him with a knife hand jab to the throat. The gun clattered across the floor. She spun on the remaining stooge and, crying out with each blow she threw - because, Holy Da-Chao she hurt inside - she bore him to his knees where Ichiro coshed his helmet with that nail bat.

Jerking free, she spotted Simon in mid bull rush. Dodging in time, she tittered at his belly flop against the wooden bar. Finally. Enough time to squeeze out a Cure spell. She moaned and ground her teeth as she felt parts of her body rearranging inside.

A hand grabbed her left elbow. Apparently Ichiro hadn't smacked his grunt hard enough, though his helmet resembled a blue muffin.

The hand shook her. "Let's get this suit off ya."

She twisted and high kicked. Her foot twisted his helmet ninety degrees.

"Ha!" She dropped to all fours and darted free.

"I can't see!" He clawed at the air. "Crazy broad, I've gone blind!"

Simon cut short her laughter with a slam to her chest, pinning her against the bar. Her hurt ribs cried out. Reaching into his belt, he pulled out an odd shaped pair of pliers.

"Dealing with you is like pulling teeth. Shall we start with the molars?"

"Urmph!" Twisting in his grasp, she wormed up the side of the bar until she could get a foot against his chest. A thrust sent him stumbling into the domino table. Back on her feet, she grabbed the nearest, gasping guard and knocked his helmeted head to the bar. Ichiro poured half a beer down his neck. A chant erupted.

"Kill the pigs. Kill the pigs. Kill the pigs."

Blind guard got his helmet untwisted; one of the spare minions, though backed into a corner, managed to fire his gun. Glass shattered.

"Wutai red label!" Ichiro said. "That will cost you six hundred gil."

"To me!" Simon managed to regroup his troops and they backed up in a pack, a couple more getting weapons drawn.

"Nicely done, Miss Yuffie." He rubbed his jaw. "But the fun ends now."

Yuffie felt her rage boil. Limit time, turkey lips. Just give me a -

A beer bottle bounced off Simon's head. He snapped his weapon around and fired.

"Landscaper, pig lickers!" Yuffie slammed her rage into the floor and the Planet answered with a rumble. Hanging glassware chimed in tune. The floor erupted in a geyser of splinters and dominos, flinging Simon and his flunkies to all sides, fists of earth bouncing one of them off the ceiling.

The domino quartet and the bikers fell upon them like weasels on a chicken coop. Others not too drunk joined the dog-pile. Somehow though, Simon slithered free and limped toward the door.

"Hey!" But the patrons, fresh out of Shinra drones, took to beating on each other.

"Ichiro. Send Godo the bill. Okay?"

"Will do, Miss Yuffie. Use the back door and do me a favor. Waste that freak."

When she made it into an alley, the pain rushed back. Her body felt as if a marching band had used her chest as a trampoline while a bull had gored her belly. She started to cast another Cure but upped it to a Regen. Waves of green pushed away the pain like a receding tide. When she felt she could move again, she made her way to the street where she found no vehicle traffic, just a trickle of drunks staggering off toward the Temple of Five Gods.

Party over then?

Careful, watch for Shinra. Step on one and ten more would scurry out. Sure enough, a green camo Jeep roared around a corner, skidding to a halt across the street. Yuffie ducked behind a dumpster for cover.

"Find her. Take her down," she heard Simon say. "Orders from the top."

Yuffie powered up a Bolt spell. She popped up and aimed it at Simon but the weasel ducked around a corner, his hair barely frizzed.

"I saw the Winkie!"

Winkie? Yuffie hadn't heard that slur in ages. She didn't know its origin but thought it had to do with Wutai monks taking on mako-spawned monsters with their bare hands. Comical, except that it had worked - at least until the materia ran out.

"Eat lead, egg layer!" a minion said.

Yuffie dove to the bricks. Bullets tore into the dumpster, sounding like gravel in a jet engine. Shinra bubble-heads hooted as if at a drunken square dance.

Yea. All about the materia, baby. I'll have to thank John for finding this beauty in the Forgotten Capital.

"Let's see if winkies can dance. Yee-haw! Dance, egg layer!"

Yuffie popped up, already cloaked in the green of her spell.

"Eat Planet, goat breath!"

With a shriek of light, a boulder the size of a human hamster ball smashed onto the Jeep, flattening it like an empty can of Rocket Town Power Ale. The concussion punched the air out of her chest and she couldn't draw a breath until a hubcap twirled to a stop in the street. Blocks away, car alarms wailed.

She strutted into the street like a peacock, if a tipsy one, turning up her nose at the impact zone.

"Comet. It makes you vomit," She tried to sing, only to break off in peals of laughter. At least now she understood why people got drunk.

"Sorry pancake. Got a butler to spank." Preferably while she dangled him head first over a latrine. And Holy Da-Chao, she vowed never to drink again.

"Hold on." A metal glint near the wreckage piqued her interest. Picking it up, she found a hapless PHS phone, still blinking with messages. "Well now." She headed for a nearby archway. "Poor loser probably has porn on here." She scrolled. Boring messages. Corporate speak. 'Leveraging our deliverables' and the like.

"Wait. What's this?"

* * *

Barret carried John across the threshold into Cosmo Canyon, his gun arm digging into back and making him squirm like a toddler. Marlene giggled. Barret adjusted his hold and John must have dropped off for a power nap because next he heard,

"All right kid. Ride's over. Kitchen is closed."

"Ho-ho-hoo, lay him right here. Be sure to cover him with blankets. We don't want him to catch cold."

"Cold?" John said. "I'm lying next to a fire in the desert."

"You cannot be cold for the ritual of _Yuube yasui shokudo de ebi no tempura o tabemashita ga, ebi wa intanda datta kara, byooki ni narimashita yo,"_ Bugenhagen said.

"I, hope you don't expect me to remember that."

"You're the one who likes shrimp." Bugenhagen chuckled as he floated away.

"Shrimp?" John shook his head. "That clears things up." Barret lay him on a firm but comfortable mat. Aeris walked up and placed a pillow under his head while Barret unrolled a load of blankets as thick as a mattress on top of him. In the fading sunlight, the glow of the Eternal Flame flickered orange off the storefronts and adobe dwellings of Cosmo Canyon. The group hushed as a regal figure - half lion, half hound - approached. The red figure, Nanaki, nodded at John and turned to the others.

"We will need plenty of water and six standing mirrors. Silver frames work best, though we can use copper or even gold in a pinch. Also, candles. A dozen votive candles for each mirror."

"Does this ritual involve hula dancers and strings of fruit?"

"Ah, John," Nanaki said, "I see you are feeling better."

"As good as can be, bundled up like a baked potato."

"You did notice, your body has trouble holding heat?"

"Too much else to worry about. Like whether Marlene's cat will tear out my throat while I sleep."

"Meow?" Fluffy nudged his cheek, making sure to let him feel the wetness of her nose.

"Cancel that. Fluffy would tear my throat out while I'm wide awake."

Nanaki said, "The Ancients called your condition a 'soul leak.' Your life force is so battered from your ersatz ritual with Aeris in the Ancient Capital that your system would take months to recover from the shock."

"So, are these blankets supposed to hold my soul in?"

"They serve two purposes. First of all, even tropical deserts can get cold at night. Second, when and if the ritual succeeds, your body will begin to sweat, telling us you can once again retain heat. Place those pots over here, please."

"But I hate feeling myself sweat."

Townsfolk began setting out clay pots full of vanilla smelling herbs. Mirrors, candles, potpourri. If nothing else, he could go down in a New Age Viking burial.

After a clank and a grinding sound, the Eternal Flame glowed more brightly. John guessed an underground gas vent fueled it. He relaxed. Aeris smiled, stroking his forehead. Even Fluffy acted civil, curling up next to his face and purring.

"Naki! Naki!" Marlene ran up. "Aunt Tifa says she wants to talk to you."

Behind Marlene strode Elmyra, Aeris' adoptive mother. While mother and daughter embraced, Nanaki turned to Marlene.

"Is Tifa coming here?"

"Yes, but first she has to help some sick cows. I talked to Aunt Yuffie, too. She wants to talk to Daddy."

"Me?" Barret said. "What deity did I offend to deserve that?"

"You need to help her. She says Simon said fall down, so she hit his Jeep with a planet."

Nanaki cleared his throat. "Maybe we should talk to them. Are they here?"

"No silly. They're on the video-phone."

"Both of them?" Barret asked.

"Yes. Aunt Tifa is at the coast and Aunt Yuffie is at home. They both called, so I put them both on the phone. I did it all by myself." Marlene drew herself up to her full height.

Sharing his daughter's pride, Barret nodded.

Nanaki said, "Perhaps we had better check this out. Thank you, Marlene." He waved a paw at the helpers. "Carry on here."

John watched the townsfolk set out their candles in a star pattern before they hauled out the full length mirrors. Later, a scraping sound pulled his attention to four stevedores hauling a cauldron bigger than a cannon on a wooden travois. Grunting and cussing, they levered the iron behemoth onto a metal brace over the flame.

An even bigger man - John recognized him as the tavern owner, Hiro - thumped the cauldron with a meaty fist and said, "Good to see you, little one. I hear you are about to partake in the ritual of _Yuube yasui shokudo de ebi no tempura o tabemashita ga, ebi wa intanda datta kara, byooki ni narimashita yo?"_

"Is that thing," John looked at the giant pot, "part of the ritual?"

"Oh no, little one. That is the Cosmo cooking pot. Nanaki ordered the vent opened and it would be a shame to waste a chance to make authentic Wutai dashi miso. With a Cosmo Canyon touch, heh, heh." He leaned down to whisper. "I'll even throw in some rock shrimp to see if anyone notices. This is, after all, a ritual about shrimp."

"Whew," John said. "I was worried you were setting up to make Jenova stew."

The gang formed a bucket brigade. John watched them schlep dozens of pails to the cauldron. Beneath the wrought iron bulk, the flame of the Cosmic Candle spread out, inviting observers to chant, "Eye of newt, tongue of toad." After the water came bags of rice, platters of chopped vegetables and racks of barbecued meats. Tavern workers hastily put up a wooden scaffold. After Hiro dumped some sacks of fragrant spices into the soup, he climbed onto the scaffold.

"Smells good," John said.

"High grade dashi stock. Imported from Wutai."

"What's in it?"

"Mostly seaweed, heh heh. Don't tell, will you?" Hiro chuckled. "I think - yellow miso will do this time. Maybe a dash of red to match the canyon sunset."

"Sounds like gumbo."

"Gumbo. I like that word." Hiro stood up, placed his fingers in his mouth and whistled. A pair of young Wutai women clad in flower bikinis emerged, together carrying an over-sized boat oar. They passed it up to Hiro, smiled, paused long enough to see if anyone wanted to buy a vowel, then traipsed back to the tavern.

Hiro began to stir the soup. Though the guy looked strong enough to wrestle an elephant, he struggled with the paddle until he created enough of a current. Then his arms went round and round; the motion lulled John into, if not sleep, at least a blissful hypnosis. Looking above the lights of the canyon city, he saw the brightest stars begin to peek out, smiling down at him. He treasured the moment of peace.

"I'll say," Nanaki said some time later. "You have an impressive fan club. How are you feeling?"

The world shifted into a dreamy focus. "Don't want to be soup."

"Hiro has been begging me to turn up the flame since I got back from the North Crater. His food is tasty, though his spices make me sneeze."

"Say, how is Tifa?"

"She and Cloud are chasing some sort of creature near Costa del Sol. She is convinced Shinra is involved. Not a stretch, since Shinra is always involved. Cloud feels much better. As for Yuffie, she's causing more trouble, also no surprise. For some reason, she asked Barret to fly over to help her deal with her own Shinra problem."

"Maybe she wants him to cook rice for her. In that case, she could have come here." John sniffed. The aroma from the cauldron moistened his dry mouth.

"Looks like plans for the ritual are on schedule," Nanaki said.

Bureau mirrors ringed John, the flame, the cauldron, and all. Hiro's barmaids stopped to primp in front of the mirrors, brushing their shiny black hair into hypnotic patterns. Beyond the mirrors, a group of flute and mandolin players struck up a cheerful song, dancing in a circle. They peddled their recordings to an audience.

Hiro waved down from his perch. "If this works, little one, will you put on a concert for me? That last one you did was a big hit."

"I'd be honored." John shifted to look up at him. "Provided someone can dig up a guitar. Or even a ukulele."

Bugenhagen drifted by, his mood jolly as ever, though John could spot a weariness in him.

"Ho-ho-hoo, we haven't had a party this big since Nanaki first returned from Midgar."

"Grandfather," Nanaki said. "You should get some rest. We will let you know when we are about to begin."

"I'm fine, Nanaki. I'm too excited to sleep. Besides, Aeris is using my study to read my materials about the Ancients. I don't want to miss the party. We don't have a bad shrimp ritual every day, you know."

"I worry about you, Grandfather."

"Ho-ho-hoo. I'm an old man, and I've lived a long life. We need to focus on the future."

John caught a ripple of wrongness in Bugenhagen's poise. If Nanaki caught it, he didn't let on.

"Come with me, Nanaki," the floating man said. "I have a gift for you."

Nanaki gave John a worried look but followed his mentor. They started up one of many staircases cut into the cliff side. From myriad windows - either chiseled into the rock or built into parapets - hung flickering lanterns, along with the blue glow of an occasional Bug Zapper. Down at eye level, the mirrors reflected the firefly lights in shimmering layers. The lights, the laughter, the dancing, the aroma of the miso dashi whatever gumbo, all droned into one musical chord of peace. John now knew why millions of pilgrims dreamed of a journey to Cosmo Canyon. Except, why had Bugenhagen looked so, worried?


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter V**

 **Touched by a Planet**  
 _"Relax. You look like you're attending your own execution." - Aeris_

Tifa and Cloud huddled on their stomachs amidst the dune grass, elbows digging into warm sand as they gazed into the fishing cove. Just northwest of Costa del Sol, the quick tropical night had fallen, leaving the air heavy and scented with jasmine as the world held its breath, waiting for a cool breeze to waft in like a damp cloth over a feverish forehead. Cloud held the night binoculars to his eyes for a full five minutes. Tifa lay impatient yet silent beside him, her feet trailing circles in the sand behind her. Cloud lowered himself from his elbows and handed the binoculars to Tifa.

"I can't see the creature," he said, "but it's easy see its path."

Tifa lifted the goggles to her eyes. The world leaped into a glowy, green focus. The hills above the water looked like misty blurs, though a darker ribbon of trees twisted its way down the silent grass, tracing the path of a stream. Along one side of the stream ran a stone cobble road. Along the other side of the stream lay an occasional animal, apparently alive but sprawled as if hurled from a passing train. None showed signs of violence but their positions didn't suggest a peaceful slumber either. The trail of tossed animals followed the stream to where a patch of date palms obscured the view. The town itself, a scattering of buildings strung like a beaded necklace along the water's edge, showed no signs of anything untoward. Lights glowed from windows; music drifted from a harbor side bar.

"Think it's in the town?" Tifa said.

"Unless it left on another route. But it has been heading for Costa del Sol."

"Maybe it's dormant now."

"It might be holed up somewhere. According to the stories, when it emerges to feed, its rampages last for hours. However," Cloud paused, "stories become wilder with every telling. No one has gotten a good look at the creature, the size of which seems to grow by the day."

"Ten meters tall with horns?"

"I think it may even have wings by now. Everyone agrees on one fact, though. The creature cloaks itself in a ball of mist. For all we know, it may even be a ball of mist."

"So we go down there now?"

"The faster we find it, the faster we find out Shinra's angle. I'll bet something escaped from one of their reactors and they want to cover it up."

"I didn't know they had a reactor in Costa del Sol, unless you count the one on Mount Corel."

"The creature is heading in the wrong direction to have come from Mount Corel. It could have swum over from Junon but I doubt it."

"Wait. I saw something. By the waterfront."

"What is it?"

"I think, I think it may have killed somebody. We need to go now!" She slapped the binoculars into Cloud's hand and bounced to her feet. Not bothering to dust herself off, she tore off down the hill, ignoring Cloud's "Wait up, Teef" behind her. He would catch up soon enough, given those glowing blue mako eyes of his.

The run to the waterline took longer than expected, though the path ran downhill and Tifa kept herself in fighting shape. An evening five-K run did wonders to perk up the senses. She angled off the dune toward a white stone walk that glimmered like a platinum ribbon. She heard Cloud race up from behind. Ahead, along the bend of the harbor, poles with wrought iron lanterns lit the way with an orange glow. A wood building, sporting a sea green mural of a flopping mermaid, beckoned her onward.

Cloud panted to a stop beside her. She didn't often see him out of breath.

"Teef? What is it?"

She hesitated, less sure of herself. When she had peered through the glasses, she had seen the white splotch on the sand and had taken it for driftwood. On second glance, it had become a dead dog. Now though . . .

Something moved beneath the row of palms. A dog ran down the beach toward her. It stopped and stared into the trees, ears perked. Then it crumpled with a yelp and lay still.

"There! Did you see it? It just looked at the dog and it fell."

"You don't know it was the - "

"Come on!" She sprinted down the path.

The air cooled with the ocean breeze. Lantern poles ticked by like spokes on a wheel. Tifa caught her second wind, once again opening up a lead. Cloud must truly desire her to chase her like this, she mused.

If only.

No time for that now. The mermaid sign loomed: Jeweled Sands Inn. She paused. Scanned from nearby trees to the beach. No movement.

Cloud caught up to her again. "My, I'm out of shape. After chasing Sephiroth all those weeks, you'd think - "

"Listen." Tifa cocked her head. Had she heard a scream? Around the hotel, on the beach.

Cloud climbed onto a rock, pulled out his binoculars, and scanned the area. Nearby, another dog started barking.

"Could be a body. Could be a bag of trash. We should take a closer look."

"Not dead." The deep voice came from behind them.

Tifa whirled around with a yelp.

"Vincent! You scared - "

The dark haired man, dressed in his typical red and black vampire cape, hovered just off the ground as always. He put a finger of his metal claw hand to his lips. "Not dead. I found an old couple on the beach. Unconscious. I brought them in, used a phoenix down. They are still in a coma but should recover."

"So, Vincent." Cloud looked unruffled. "You haven't lost your flair for a dramatic entrance."

"Have you seen the creature?" Tifa asked.

"Yes. It's over there."

"What?" Tifa whirled again, seeing nothing. Beside her, Cloud hopped down from his perch and drew his sword.

"In the grove of trees behind the inn. I think it's scared."

"No sympathy from me," Cloud said. "You can be scared without going on a killing spree."

Tifa looked from Cloud's blue eyes to Vincent's red ones. Her resolve tightened. Vincent nodded and slid out his gun, an over-sized, old fashioned revolver with a barrel the length of her forearm. Had someone crossed a gun with a stretch limo? It looked like someone pointing with an index finger five times too long.

"Buntline." Vincent stroked the handle, running his good fingers over a surprising number of materia gems he had seated there.

"Let's mosey, then." Cloud pointed toward the hotel. "Beach side or inland, Vincent?"

"The local constables have the roads secured inland. You're lucky they posted me to watch the shore trail."

Tifa considered the constables the lucky ones but she remained quiet as they hurried across the parking area. Cloud eased up at the corner, peeking around and motioning Tifa forward. Vincent drifted behind them. Nothing stirred in front of the hotel. They moved in shifts, darting behind planters and deck furniture, working their way to the far side. They had covered more than half the distance when Tifa nearly tripped over two bodies. She hopped sideways, one hand held up, the other one clamped over her mouth to keep from calling out.

"They're not dead," Vincent whispered. "Comatose, like the others."

"That creature does this to people?"

"Apparently. No one has gotten close enough to test it."

Cloud, reaching the end of the building, gripped his sword, pointing it at the grove of trees beyond.

Tifa checked her materia. "Let's take this sucker down fast," she said to Vincent.

Cloud held a finger to his lips when the two of them crept near. "I feel something. Faint, in those trees. Does either of you have a Sense materia?"

Vincent nodded, finding the yellow gem on his armlet. He squatted behind a row of jasmine. Cupping his hand to hide the yellow glow, he faced the palm grove and focused. Presently, he drifted over to the others and whispered,

"Six trees in from the right. Hard to get a fix, but it appears at least part human."

"Jenova?" Cloud asked.

"Possibly. A mixture of, something. Most likely mako mutated."

Tifa shuddered.

Cloud said, "So the creature may not even look human. But it is human sized?"

"Correct."

Cloud checked his collection of materia. "Any idea what it's vulnerable to?"

"Don't use poison. Try lightning."

Cloud switched a couple of materia orbs. "Ditch this Bio. I'll bet it has a Barrier spell up so I'll try a Destruct. That materia might even protect against whatever attack that thing uses. Teef, here's a Magic Plus. Do you have a mastered Bolt? Good. You'll stand back and rain death upon its head. I don't know its attack range but I might need you to pull me out if I get conked. No sense both of us going down. Vincent? Any ideas?"

The vampire figure set and braced for a clean shot. He nodded approval.

"How do we get it to come out?" Tifa said.

"You could drop in a Ramuh summon and see what screams."

Tifa crept close to him. "Perhaps I can - "

A small terrier came skipping along the beach heading toward them. It veered off and trotted toward the grove where it stopped and barked.

"A minor summon," Vincent said, shielding the red glow on his armlet. "I found it in Nibelheim. Yuffie thought it was useless."

The dog kept barking. It crouched low to the ground, hair bristling, a low growl rumbling through the quiet night.

"There!" Cloud drew his sword and stepped to the edge of the shadows.

A gust of wind blew from the palms. Ferns the size of rakes began to sway, parting to admit a swirling gray shape encased in an oval of mist. It stepped, almost flowed, into the open. Tifa tried to make out a form inside but staring too hard made her eyes ache.

Snarling, the dog backed away. It pawed the sand as if burying a bone for dessert. The gray creature uttered a keening cry, a sound so grating it made Tifa's teeth hurt.

Ahead, Cloud and Vincent tensed for action. Touching a yellow Enemy Skill materia, Tifa opened with a Big Guard spell, giving them a magic barrier of their own as well as speeding their actions.

"Now!" Cloud leapt forward. He slashed at air before stepping back to throw a bolt spell. The charge sputtered around the oval, though it made Tifa's hair prickle.

"Need to break its barrier," Cloud said. "Everyone ready?"

The creature darted forward and loosed a brilliant blue barrage of forked lightning. It sparkled off the party's shield, throwing Cloud back and turning the barking dog into a steaming heap.

"This is bad," Tifa said. "Hurry up with - "

Cloud glowed green with his spell. A silver ray caught the creature dead center and the gray swirling shroud began to boil away, even as the creature darted from side to side, emitting screams of fury.

Tifa did not wait for the next attack. "Judgment Bolt!" Through the swirling red haze she saw a mountain erupt from the placid beach, a white-robed wizard standing on top. The wizard stretched his hands, raining a curtain of bolts onto the courtyard. The creature shuddered under the impact. Small fires snapped like giant fireflies in the wake of Tifa's Ramuh summon.

"Good work, Teef." Cloud stepped forward, sword raised.

Tifa blasted the thing again, this time with her amped up Bolt spell. The creature staggered but rose back to full height as Cloud drew back for the killing blow. Suddenly, Cloud froze. He stood as a frozen silhouette as the creature's glow brightened. Lightning didn't slow that thing down much, Tifa noted. Definitely mako enhanced. "Cloud? What's wrong?" She moved to pull him back but he broke his trance and started to move.

Cloud tensed. The creature stepped toward him but instead of attacking he sagged, dropping his sword behind him.

"Cloud!" Tifa darted forward. "What are you doing!" Then she saw the creature's face and stopped herself.

"No. It, it can't be!"

The creature, a distinct human form bathed in its misty white radiance, stepped closer, raising its arms. Tifa's mind snapped into place. A trick. A mind trick. Beta. Cast a Beta spell. No! Not enough time!

Then the night shattered with blasts from Vincent's gun.

* * *

John awoke when a sharp stick jabbed him in the ribs. He heard a gruff "sorry" and the crackling of the fire. He smelled, what? Roasting meat? Had someone thrown him on the fire? He forced his eyes open, only to find the world appearing in a blur until he blinked several times. No, he lay safely under his blankets. He mentally slapped himself.

Fewer people milled about now. A good number huddled against the canyon walls with bowls of soup balanced on their laps. John rolled his head sideways to find three stocky men clothed in suspenders and overalls. They hovered about the Eternal Flame, each holding a long stick with a lump of meat on the end. The closest one, a beefy guy with dark hair, turned to look at him.

"Hi. I'm Larry; this is my brother Darryl and this is my other brother Darryl."

The two Darryls, one blond and one not, nodded in turn.

Larry said, "We were passing through on our way to hunt thunder rabbits, when we heard about the ritual of _yuube yasui shokudo de ebi no tempura o tabemashita ga, ebi wa intanda datta kara, byooki ni narimashita yo._ Darryl thought we might pay our respects to the one who had risked his soul to save the famous flower girl. So," He shifted his gaze from his light-haired to his dark-haired brother. "Darryl here selected the finest road kill to barbecue in your honor."

John forced a grin. "I'm dead," he said. "I'm finally dead."

"Oh no. This is black striped bear-weasel. They only come out at night. They're quick, too. Darryl had to swerve three times to clip it."

"Hell has a special place for me. I should have known when I first met Fluffy."

"Darryl wanted to know something." Larry shifted his gaze to his blond brother. "Is it wise to give succor to the Calamity from the Sky, the Bringer of Death, and Summoner of Sabre-tooth Locusts?" He looked back to his other brother. "Darryl counters that no one has proof you have anything to do with the recent invasion of saber-tooth locusts, and besides, if you fry 'em up in a vat of chicken fat, they make a right crunchy trail mix."

John shivered under the blankets.

"Darryl says reality is a philosophical illusion. What is real is only what we believe." Dark Darryl nodded. "Darryl, on the other hand, claims that despite our best efforts, reality will assert itself in a concrete manner, much as how our truck asserted itself on this black striped bear-weasel." Blond Darryl bowed his head.

Larry turned back to the fire, rolling over his sizzling clump of meat.

John said, "Which one of you poked me in the ribs?"

The two Darryls pointed at each other, paused in thought, pointed at each other again, then laughed silently.

"I see." John took a breath. "As for being a threat to the Planet, I assure you - "

"We know you are no threat to the Planet," Larry said. "There's so little of you left."

Blond Darryl grinned.

"I need a drink," John said, trying to roll away from the group.

"Be careful," Larry said. "Darryl left his pear juice over yonder."

"Pear juice? Sounds good."

Both Darryls silently hooted. Even Larry chuckled. "I reckon you'd go off like one of Auntie Pamela's beanie bombs. That there pear juice done drove our truck down these mountain roads. Still, Darryl likes to sneak a nip now and then." He slapped blond Darryl on the back of his head. "Don'tchya, Darryl?"

"It, it runs your truck?"

"Yea. Darryl makes it in a little still he has hid out back. Them power pears grow mighty huge when you fertilize their trees properly. Darryl uses heaps of steaming tree-goat manure."

The Darryls huffed again.

"So, you live up in the mountains around here?"

"So high those Shinra revenuers can't find us. They used to send a revenuer every now and then but them they send never return. Right Darryl? Some get drunk and fall into a ravine by accident. Others meet the great Shanandra."

"The great - a local deity?" John guessed.

All three cracked up in silent laughs.

"Would that she could hear you, kid. She's a mountain broad, built like a kegger, eyes like diamonds, tongue like a lizard, kisses like a vakkin' cleaner."

The Darryls laughed again.

Larry said, "Looks like the ritual is about to start. Hiro has his soul dancers out and he's dressed them in fruit. I'll be dad-burned. He's following the ancient ritual to the letter."

John, fighting off another wave of fatigue, turned his head to look. Past the mirrors and flickering shadows the troupe walked out, dressed in more produce than a farmers' market.

"Wow Darryl, look at the size of them . . . pineapples."

"And that's the men," John said.

A slender woman wearing a lei of camellia-like flowers began to light the collection of votive candles. Her outfit, so to speak - a short skirt and camisole - matched the lei with its floral print.

"Angelina?" John said with a start.

"Yes," Lena said. "Tifa lent me some of her casual wear before she flew off on her mission. Until now I've not had a chance to wear it."

"Well it, suits you. With the flowers, I mean."

"C'mon Darryl," Larry said. "Stop staring or your eyes will pop out like snap peas. Let's go find a place to chow down on our critter _du jour._ I don't want to miss the party. Ma'am?" He bowed low before leading his brothers off.

"Friends of yours?" Lena said.

John snorted.

"Never turn your back on potential friends."

"I admit," John said, looking at the hillbilly trio, "they aren't likely to stab me in the back. Spear me in the ribs, perhaps, but not the back."

"Here comes one of your friends now."

John gasped as an angel walked into view. Aeris. Her chestnut hair loose, her body cloaked in a sleeveless gown of shimmering red, her waist cinched by a neon pink sash, she walked as if drifting off the ground. (Perhaps she would, if she hung around that vampire poser Vincent long enough.) She smiled and exchanged hugs with Lena, receiving a bouquet of white and pink carnations from one of Hiro's fruit maidens.

Her red dress made her glow in the reflected firelight. John's mind filled with sweet haze. Every time he saw Aeris since the incident in the Ancient Capital, his mind wanted to drip away like raw egg through a storm grate.

"Easy now." Aeris knelt to place a cool hand on his forehead. "It won't be much longer."

"Now I know I'm dying."

Not a bad life, all in all. He surprised himself when, close to death, he had a thought like this. He could spend weeks feeling depressed, as if God had trapped his mind inside a dirty Coke bottle, but his inner guardian angel would pop up and whisper, "Hey, at least you didn't just have your arms and legs crushed by a steam roller."

"Relax," Aeris said. "You look like you're attending your own execution."

"Funeral."

Aeris shook her head, a mental eye roll. She drew a wet cloth and stroked his face. Some people get a last meal, he thought. I get a last bath.

"As my mother says - both of them - you have a good heart. I appreciate all you've done for me. Now I ask one more favor. Don't give up. Fight to stay with us."

John recalled his sister Jaime long ago, who once threatened to nail his soul to the floor if he even thought of dying on her.

"That's it," Aeris said. "You have to believe in yourself. Only you can save yourself. We can help, but the magic comes from within you. All these people? They're just here for the soup."

Beyond the two of them, the world blurred. Shadows drifted, darting in and out of focus. Hiro perched on his scaffold, dispensing bowls of the house special. It smelled divine. If only he had an appetite.

"Tell you what," Aeris said. "I think Yuffie likes Barret, if in a schoolgirl crush sort of way."

"You've got to be kidding."

"That's it. Keep on fighting. If you even think of dying and I'll - " A mischievous glint twinkled in her green eyes. "I'll nail your soul to the floor."

John had long since ceased to feel surprise when someone read his thoughts. His brain acted so much like an open mic he could mouth off even when he remembered to keep his mouth shut.

Aeris leaned closer. John could smell the carnations along with something spicy and exotic, perhaps one of those Wutai perfumes Yuffie liked to wear. Aeris dragged the cool cloth around to his neck, swiping under his chin. He hoped she didn't just wipe up drool. In the background, Larry popped one of the Darryls behind his head for drinking from his soup bowl.

John reached out from under the blanket and grasped Aeris' hand. His grip felt weak but she held on.

She leaned down again. "That's right. I think you understand." She placed a kiss on his forehead.

John closed his eyes and relaxed, feeling his mouth curl into a smile. It doesn't get much better than this, he thought as his brain drifted away in a silky pink fog.

As if in answer, Aeris kissed him again. On the mouth.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter VI**

 **Flower of Wutai**  
 _"Ah, Barret. We hardly know each other. Shouldn't we at least kiss first?" - Yuffie_

Barret Wallace stood in the foyer of Godo's house, looking as out of place as a nun at a belching contest. Not that Wutai nuns didn't know how to have a good time. Yuffie remembered smuggling rice candies over the walls of Our Lady of Purest Waters, a convent near the base of Da-Chao. She had dropped into their manicured garden, sneaked along the pebbled paths to the pagoda gazebo. Given the hour, Yuffie assumed she would privately switch her bundle for a bottle of potent sake the nuns distilled there. (Until last night Yuffie herself had never sampled their wares, and her throbbing headache reinforced her vow never to do so again.) When she climbed over the oak railing she came upon a scene that still made her blush - though she savored the memory of bafflement on Godo's face when she had announced she wanted to become a nun, now that she knew what he did in his spare time.

Barret shifted from foot to foot. Yuffie observed from behind her screen, debating whether to leave him cooling his heels for another ten minutes. Portek, stiff as a board (except, she had heard the maids whisper, where it really mattered), stood opposite him, trying not to notice Barret's discomfort, though in the most pompous way possible. Barret, Yuffie could tell, really wanted to swear at the top of his voice but suppressed the urge out of respect for Godo. Thus he limited his protests to an occasional grunt. In place of his usual gun arm he wore a prosthetic hand. It looked real enough if you didn't look at the metal bulge where it met his forearm. (Portek could not stop staring at it, Yuffie noted with a smirk. Big black guys scared the old wisp, and big black guys who looked like mutants? Snort.) Still, it appeared Barret had listened to Aeris' advice about not spraying bullets around during social functions.

Portek coughed. Barret grunted.

Yuffie could not hold in the giggles any longer, so she stepped from behind her screen and greeted Barret with a chirpy "Hi."

"Hello." He cleared his throat, clenching his teeth. "Mind telling me what the h - " He coughed. "Why you sent for me?"

"I have an announcement to make."

Barret grunted.

"I'm going to become a nun."

Blank stare. From Portek too, she noted with a smirk.

Yuffie began to strut. "I've always felt something missing in my life, you know? Last night I discovered I lack an element of spirituality. It's never too late for salvation, don't you think?"

"I . . . "

"Anyway, Wutai nuns are known for their high quality sake. They just can't drink it themselves. Last night, oh my aching head, I discovered why, so the only way to ensure I never take another drink is to become a nun. A good idea. Don't you think?"

"I . . . err . . . "

"Besides." Yuffie blushed as she pushed back that memory of her, ah, compromised father. "Being a Wutai nun isn't all about chanting prayers and planting flowers."

"Ah . . . err . . . "

"Are you afraid you'll lose me?"

"Err?"

"It's one place Simon the Groper can't reach me."

"Who?"

"Do you know what that slime bag had the nerve to call me? He called me the Flower of Wutai. Can you imagine?"

"That, sounds, better than, anything I would call you," Barret said.

"I'm glad I smashed his Jeep."

Barret cleared his throat. Yuffie picked up a table tennis paddle from a desk. She twirled it in her hand.

"I'm glad you're here, Barret. Aren't you glad you're here?"

Barret said nothing.

"Here's what I want you to do. Take this." She handed him the paddle. "And spank my butler."

"Excuse me?" Barret stood open mouthed.

"Miss Yuffie, I must protest," Portek said. "If you persist in this disrespectful manner, I will have to speak to your father."

"Disrespectful?" Yuffie threw some snarl into her voice. Even Barret stepped back. "Barret, this man, this, sneak thief, stole my materia. Hear that? He stole, my materia. Spank him."

"Miss Yuffie, how dare you - "

"You're a lying sack of - " She stopped, a hand over her mouth. She cursed her inhibitions, cursed her father for instilling this one modicum of etiquette. Barret raised an eyebrow. She plunged on. "And a Shinra spy. Barret, surely you know what Shinra is?"

"Goddammit Yuffie! What the hell you bringin' me out here for? What the hell kind of game are you playin'!"

Yuffie smiled her 'gotchya' smile. "I don't like Shinra spies. Especially when they steal my materia." She stomped on Portek's foot. He winced and leaned back against the wall.

"Hmm," Barret said. "I seem to recall a certain brat who stole _my_ materia. Yes, I believe it happened around here somewhere."

"That was different. I was on a mission to revive the spirit of Wutai. I didn't know you then and besides, I gave it all back. This creep here, he's worked for my family for years, probably passing secrets to Shinra the whole time. Haven't you? Now he's even buddied up with Simon the Groper."

Barret took a deep breath. "Yuffie, what makes you think your butler stole your materia?"

"Do you think, I, don't know who stole, my, materia?"

"Yuffie, what is the real point? Why not turn him over to your father? Why have me come all this way on a rickety plane and a damn temperamental chocobo just to find out you had a taste of your own medicine?"

"Barret, Barret. I thought you came because you wanted to see me."

He stood unmoved by her sweet smile.

"You want proof he's a spy?"

"Proof would be a start."

Yuffie walked to the desk. She pulled out a drawer. "I still think I should become a nun."

Barret tapped his foot.

"As that doofus John told me, it's okay to kiss a nun, just so long as you don't get into the habit."

"Yuffie!"

"Keep your socks on, big fella." She pulled out a manila folder.

"You know?" Barret said. "I've made up my mind. Rather than spank your butler for stealing your materia, I think I'll spank you for being so damn careless with it."

"Ah, Barret. We hardly know each other. Shouldn't we at least kiss first?"

"Are you going to tell me what's in that damn folder?"

"I was on the computer last night. It's a good way to sober up. And yes, I can use a computer. Just because I'm sixteen doesn't mean I'm helpless. You remember being a teenager? Like, you go into a store, and everyone stares at you because they think you're going to rob them blind?"

"Yuffie, they don't stare at you because you're a teenager. They stare at you because they know you will rob them blind."

"Better be nice, if you want me to tell my story."

"I'm waitin'."

"I expect a kiss when this is all done."

Barret shook the Ping-Pong paddle.

"I found an e-mail. Do you know a woman named Carmine?" Yuffie checked Portek, who looked ready to bolt. Barret shook his head so she continued. "She took over that nasty Scarlet's job at Shinra. Older cousin or something. Anyway, this loser here got an e-mail from Simon, thanking him for setting me up at the beach the other day. What's more, this Simon creep forwarded an e-mail he got from Carmine. He was probably just showing off how he has the hots for the ice queen? Anyway, in the e-mail she was asking him for help with Operation Black Wind, whatever that is, except it has something to do with all those Takeo fighters."

Portek tried to leave but Barret's prosthetic hand shot out and seized his arm.

"Cool," Yuffie said. She stalked over in front of them both. "Want to know the clincher?"

"What? You might have convinced me your butler might be a spy. We'll have Cloud talk to him, and then decide."

"Take a look at this."

"I have my hands full. Can't you just tell me?"

"I did some digging. Portek here has high level access into Shinra's system. More than a simple butler, you know? I think Simon's the new goat, if you ask me. Anyway, I found a briefing about the sabotage at the Corel reactor."

At that, she saw Barret stiffen. Portek winced in pain. Good, she thought. Just wait till you hear what comes next.

"Turns out it was Carmine's idea to make an example of the town. Scarlet insisted on running the mission, the hyperactive bunny. Anyway, it was Carmine's brainstorm and it was she who made out the list of people on the terminate order. A list, I might point out, I found on the computer of our favorite butler right here."

Barret snatched the sheet with his good hand. He began to read. "Terminate with prejudice. Operatives on the attempted sabotage of the Corel mako reactor, the resistance cell hidden in the town of Corel. Sister Sufi Kobayashi? Who is she?"

"She was a nun, believe it or not."

"Why so many nuns popping up all of a sudden? Tamiko Norton? Was she a nun too? Wait, her husband's on the list. Brett Norton? I knew him. Damn. He ran the hardware shop. All these guys - "

Barret's breath stopped, and Yuffie knew exactly where.

"Myrna Wallace!" Finding his late wife on the list, Barret shook Portek like a rag doll. "You son of a - "

Portek braced himself. The oaf had some muscles after all. "Unhand me you pathetic ox!"

"I'll un-head you, you goddamn - " Barret aimed his fist at Portek's head but the Butler ducked, smacking the edge of his hand against Barret's mechanical wrist. The prosthesis slipped free, still gripping Portek's elbow.

"The hell!" Barret aimed his handless arm but alas, it had no gun on it.

Yuffie lunged for Portek but the spry butler aimed a roundhouse kick at her midsection. She dodged but he used the opening to slip away.

"My hand!"

Yuffie raced into the hallway after Portek. Barret's swearing gonged through the thin-walled house. When she spotted her butler, she snapped off an Ice spell, clipping his shoulder. Slippery weasel. He slipped around a corner. She hurried to it but pulled up short. Never present yourself as an easy target. Her caution paid off. Yuffie jumped back to avoid the sheets of flame that blew the hall door off its hinges and ignited Godo's 'Darling Rice Farmer' wall tapestry. Yuffie caught the reflection of an orange horned figure hovering over the blackened courtyard. The bastard had also stolen her mastered Ifrit materia! Yuffie unleashed her mini-Leviathan, thankful she didn't need to flatten her father's house with the full summon. The fire went out but it would take weeks to air out the smell of soggy burnt fabric.

"He's getting away!" she called.

Barret bounded up to her. "Your father will have your head for ruining his tapestries."

"He's used to it. It's what he gets for hiring a Shinra spy. Besides." She motioned to the scorched wall. "I hated that picture. Big-eyed swimsuit models working in the rice paddies? Give me a break."

"He's got my goddamn hand!"

"Let's go to his room." Yuffie pointed. "Before he makes it to Shinra and they kick him out of their computer system."

"You a big time hacker now?"

"It helps when he writes down his password under his desk." Yuffie grinned. "And I changed it."

"I gotta call Nanaki about this. Damn!"

"I know. We'll set the police on him. Also, I'll alert the Wutai underground. They'll keep him from slinking through the alleys."

"There's a Wutai underground? How many members?"

"I know of three and one of them is me. Unless you count my cats."

Barret snorted. "We call Nanaki, then I'm goin' after that bastard. But first," he glared at his truncated arm, "I'm puttin' on my goddamn gun."

* * *

"Are you feeling better, Cloud?"

He shuddered. Actually sniffled. Though if he felt embarrassed, he didn't show it.

Tifa continued. "It has to be a trick. I know it looked like her, but how can it be? After all these years?"

"She's, she's just as I remembered, when I . . . "

"Easy. These things can reopen fresh wounds."

They had holed up in the Jolly Sand Dollar Inn on the cheap side of Costa del Sol, not to spare the expense, but to stay out of the spotlight. Cloud had looked catatonic when Tifa and Vincent had led him here late last night.

"Did Vincent," Cloud said, "hurt her?"

Vincent unfolded himself from his perch on the windowsill. "I don't believe so. She shielded herself with Barrier magic and she is heavily mako enhanced. Also, she carries the scent of Jenova."

"Mako enhanced? Jenova cells? Sounds like Hojo's work," Tifa said.

"I sensed something else," Vincent said. "Another presence. However, I don't think she is alive."

"A zombie then? Hojo would do that." Tifa shuddered. "I wonder who else he has shuffling around."

"She didn't look dead," Cloud said. "Her hair even had that little curl at her temple. It's all, so, unfair!" He buried his face in his hands and shuddered.

"Has to be Hojo."

"Maybe we should ask him," Vincent said.

"Hojo? Are you serious?"

"I don't want to see him," Cloud said. "If I do, I'll cleave him with my sword."

"Perhaps we can find his lab. It must be around here. We can backtrack the creature."

"She's not just a creature!"

"Cloud." Tifa laid a hand on his shoulder. "I miss her too. She was always nice to me, brought over her famous peach pie after my mother died."

"My mother," Cloud said. "I killed Sephiroth to avenge her. Now Hojo. How could he do this to her? How did he even get - arrgh!"

"He had his pick of victims from Nibelheim. He had you and Zack. He would have had me, except for Zangan." Tifa shuddered, recalling how close she had come to death or worse before her sensei Zangan had rescued her from the reactor. "I wonder. Could my father's body be stumbling around out there too?"

"Oh Tifa." He put his arm around her shoulder. She returned his gesture and they sat there a full minute.

"Cloud, I, ah . . . "

"Don't apologize. I feel better now. It was just the shock of it. My mother. I miss her so much, and to see her like that, oh Tifa." He took a shaky breath. "At least, at least I'm not slipping back into, you know, my old self."

"You are doing very well. You're supposed to feel emotion. Before, you were always such a statue, at least until Aeris. At the lake. That, was awful for all of us."

"Vincent," Cloud said, disengaging himself. (So much for a rock-free personality.) "Where is my mother now? What is she doing?"

"The creature - we might as well call her Raine - veered away from the city and was last spotted moving west. She appears not to like populated areas. Good thing for her, since this city was planning on meeting her with serious hardware."

"So she's, where?"

"If she stays on course, she will wind up in the Corel mountains. Alternately, she may turn southward toward the Gold Saucer."

"Toward Hojo," Tifa said. "Maybe it's a Jenova homing thing."

"She might even be trying to reach the North Crater Reunion, like all those Sephiroth clones we saw. Or she's just wandering around confused."

Cloud said, "I don't think so. She has a destination but I don't think it's Hojo. None of Hojo's other experiments wanted anything to do with him. Myself included."

Vincent also nodded. Tifa knew he had his own dealings with the mad doctor.

"Shall we follow or backtrack?" Tifa said.

"Follow. I will ask Nanaki for his opinion but for now, let's not lose her. What kind of attack is she using? What is she doing to all those animals? I've never seen anything like it."

Vincent considered. "She doesn't kill them. It's as if she drains them, perhaps feeding off their life energy. Though when she met us, her appetite seemed sated."

"Creepy," Tifa said.

"All the more reason to follow," Cloud said. "We need to head her off if she aims for another town. We may need more of our team to stop her but I do not want her killed. We must find another way."

"You will have to face the fact," Vincent said. "She is not your mother anymore, at least in mind."

"It may also be an illusion," Tifa said. "A mind game of Hojo's or a Jenova trick. Remember when the first Jenova appeared to the Cetra?"

"Our dead mothers, our dead brothers," Cloud recited. "I'll take that chance. We follow, and observe. Intervene if necessary. If Shinra were to get their hands on her, it could be a disaster."

"I agree," Vincent said. "If they somehow harness her, she would make a potent weapon."

"Everything's a weapon with them," Tifa said.

Cloud stood up. "Let's get some food, call the others, and go after her."

* * *

John awoke to a new light, the previous night's events jumbling in his mind like one of those carnival rides with names like the Zipper, rides that shake you up and flip you around until you turn as green as the salad your mama always told you to eat. Salad, though, sounded good to him now. His eyelids felt like day old pizza dough, his tongue like a cracked brick, and his arms like two dead carp flopping across a hot sidewalk, but he also felt, strangely, alive.

Heat. He had gotten hot. His mind and vision cleared. Luckily, someone had set up a pink parasol pup tent to shield his albino skin from sunlight. The blankets lay strewn across his legs, sticky as leather pancakes. He pulled an arm loose into the relative coolness of the desert air. His hand lolled on its wrist but as he shook it, feeling returned to his fingers. Prying his other arm free, ensuring that yes, he still possessed opposable thumbs, he kicked off his shroud of blankets, cringing at how his sweaty pajamas stick to him like soggy wallpaper. What had Nanaki said? His body had issues retaining heat? No problem now; he had enough heat to help a dozen city blocks cook eggs on their sidewalks.

He glanced at the Eternal Flame. Someone had dialed it back down and removed the iron soup pot. They had also taken the standing mirrors, though guttered candles, crushed fruit, and other litter lay strewn about the courtyard. Beyond this, the stacked pueblo buildings sat silent in their daybreak sunlight.

John pushed himself to a sitting position, shocked by the lack of effort it took. His energy. It had returned. He wanted to leap and whoop. He rose to his feet. Too fast, it turned out, as he still wobbled and had to grasp a collapsing deck chair to stay upright. He paused, breathing in the clean spice of the air. His senses felt sharper. Above all, he felt hungry. Ravenous. He used the wooden chair as a walker to pick his way across to Hiro's tavern.

The door stood open, braced by an empty mop bucket. Its mop lay discarded in a corner where it had trailed a slug trail of mud (and things best not pondered) from under a table. Most of the booths still contained snoring bodies. Empty and part-filled mugs, some overturned, sat in clusters on the tables. Apparently Hiro had not swept his drunk patrons out after lugging that huge cooking pot back to his kitchen, where John could see it even now, a scrub brush lying across its brim like a politician's toothbrush. The tavern's center tables had a covering of discarded flowers and fruit garments. Had Hiro's dance troop undressed in here before slinking off to bed? What kind of party had he slept through last night, anyway?

"Ah, it's our famous celebrity. How are you feeling today, young one?" Hiro emerged from his store room looking fresh from the farm. Apparently he kept his nose out of the sake. And pear juice.

"I'm beat, but in a good way," John said. "Also famished. But above all, I need a shower."

Hiro sniffed the room. "You aren't the only one. I think I should break out the hose for my guests."

"Looks like they partied hard and died young. I didn't know I was such a celebrity."

"Don't take it personally, but those mountain folk will hit the pear juice just to celebrate Grandpa Fran buying a second goat."

"I heard about that pear juice."

"I once used some to fly my light airplane over to Wutai. I also used some this morning to dissolve the sludge in the bottom of my pot. Look inside it if you like. It looks good as new. But I warn you. Hold your nose."

"I'll take your word for it."

"Tell you what, kid. You get cleaned up and I'll warm up some Wutai _oyako don_ for you. It is popular, even with those who don't drink the pear juice."

John nodded his thanks and headed toward the guest quarters. On the way, he nearly tripped over a passed out form in the hall. The man lay as a featureless, snoring lump under a sticky blanket. He looked like he had crawled toward the bathroom in search of a warm place to vomit but from the look and smell of things, had fallen short. Ugh, no wonder the floor felt so sticky. Cool chunks oozed between his bare toes.

"Gross." He tried to scrub his foot. He yelped when something sharp jabbed the arch of his foot. Reaching down, he picked out a tarnished pendant wedged between two floorboards. He hurried into the bathroom to examine it under the light and the added bonus of breathable air. A diamond shaped lattice of tarnished metal, perhaps bronze, surrounded a flat green stone, perhaps a jade. Across both sides of the stone, the metal formed a criss-cross shape, an X on top of a long stem. It reminded John of the chi-rho he had seen on some churches, except this was more like a "chi-iota." He held the amulet by its grimy chain and watched it spin, smiling at the mild hypnotic effect.

"Wash me," a voice whispered.

John looked around. Shrugged.

He undressed for the shower. Looked at the amulet again. Had it grown larger?

"Take me with you."

"Gah."

He held it up. It spun again, the other way this time.

"Whatever." Stepping in with the amulet, he hung it over the shower head. Might as well clean it while he cleaned himself.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter VII**

 **Back in the Soup**  
 _"Materia. They're all like children to me" - Yuffie_

Standing in the shower, John washed off what felt like years of dirt. He glanced at the pendant on the shower head, lathered up, closed his eyes, and let the warm cascade stream down his back. Minutes passed. When he opened his eyes he found the room steamed almost to opaque. He took up the amulet again, holding the encased green stone in his hand and rubbing it with his thumb. The metal hadn't tarnished after all; it glimmered like a tiny, eclipsed brass sun under the light. Wait a minute. What light? The shower stall didn't have a -

He flipped back the shower curtain to expose the gloomy room beyond. Except, it didn't resemble a bathroom at all. The towel rack looked like a small bush; the sink stand looked a lot like a mossy rock, and the room's supporting timbers had leafy branches. John blinked, drawing back the curtain, only to find it had become a wet palm fern.

"What the - "

Then he remembered he hadn't taken his medication in days. He relaxed. Only a small bout of insanity. He began to laugh. With the wasting sickness, or "soul leak," as Nanaki had called it, he had trouble remembering to eat some mornings, much less take a pill. Now that he felt better - if feeling better meant hallucinating that his shower had become a rain forest - he needed to find, hmm. His shower, he noted, had grown cold. Turning all the way around, he found trees and plants everywhere, curtained by pouring rain. When he grabbed for the towel rack, his hand came up with another fig leaf.

"Swell," he said. "I hate those dreams where I walk around naked in public." But he shrugged. "My dream; my rules." Outwardly he had a child's body; if he came across a perverted caveman he would deal with it. Besides, he had a fig leaf.

His feet oozed into the forest floor of mud and leaves. When he got through this adventure he would need another shower to wash off the dirt from this shower.

His path ended in a bank of foliage. He reached out to part the greenery and jerked back. A young woman stood in the clearing beyond, her back to him, her dark hair plastered to the her white blouse. She took a few steps, shivered, and stepped out of sight. John followed, fig leaf in place.

He spotted the woman again in a wide clearing. She faced sideways, allowing him to see the pallor on her face, her tan skin gone almost orange. He peered around a tree, trying to glimpse what she stared at. Dim shapes melted in the gray rain. He chanced a few steps, following her gaze. The trees ringing the clearing moved into view. Shapes hulked against them. Not shadows: John made out an arm here, a leg there. Bodies tied to the trees, their arms thrust behind their heads at harsh angles, no, _nailed_ there, metal spikes pounded through their arms like -

John gagged, dropping hard to the ground and covering his face. As the rain continued to fall, his thin film of sanity wafted away, inviting him to scream. He clamped one hand over his mouth and the other over his eyes, lest he wake up naked in a ditch vomiting a soup of mud.

After an eternity, he parted his fingers. The vision remained. He drew a breath but managed not to scream. He watched the woman move to one of the pinned figures, a young man who somehow still lived. He moaned at her approach. A bundle of hanging snakes shifted with him. Wait, not snakes at all, but - oh God - intestines, dangling like a hank of bloody hoses. John wretched but in this dream, as in real life, he had nothing to throw up. He sat there, rocking and dry heaving while the man tried to speak.

"Who did this?" the woman said with a calm that belied her shock. John's stomach tried to shoot out through his nose.

"Shinra," the man said.

"Gregor Granth?"

"Yes. And, k-k-k - " His head slumped. A gout of blood spurted from his lips, the ropy mass of intestines giving one final spasm.

This time, John did scream.

* * *

Portek fled across the grassy plains and Wutai rice fields, his gray cloak flapping like a mutant fly wing. Yuffie and Barret gave chase. Portek still had a lead but Yuffie closed on him. To her surprise, Barret kept up. She would have to rethink those "clumsy old oaf" jokes. He even had enough breath to describe in colorful detail what he planned to do when he got his hands - hand - on that squirrelly butler.

Who knew Portek had this much stamina? To think she could have put him to work moving crates of books into her new library she had built off her basement? Come to think of it, she will have him build an entire new wing with wine cellar and cupola. So what if Dad called it too swank.

"Damn!" Barret stopped so suddenly she plowed right into him. He barely noticed. "What the hell is that?"

A black, bird-like shape shrieked down from the sky, skimming the grass before setting down long enough for Portek to hop inside. Barret braced himself and let loose a volley of useless bullets. The shape bumped forward, gaining speed before soaring into the sky.

"A Takeo fighter," Yuffie said. "Shinra's latest."

"So that's what's been attacking the _Highwind_. Damn."

"They're attacking the _Highwind?_ "

"Yes, and dammit, they're about to attack us! Take cover!"

"What cover?"

"Dodge!" Barret popped off a few more shots before the ground around them lit up with streaks of fire.

Yuffie tumbled head over heels out of the way, feeling heat behind her. She fumbled out her shuriken and stared at it dumbly as the plane banked for another run. Barret crouched and fired, more out of habit, while Yuffie powered up her Leviathan summon.

Barret's Bolt spell fluttered against the plane, mere static cling as its weapons turned Yuffie's summoned snake creature into a blue cloud of steam. Yuffie again found herself flying across the ground. She never knew she could fly so far without an airplane.

Barret lay in a heap some twenty meters away. Yuffie started to call to him when she saw him move, saw him raise his gun at the banking fighter.

"Hold your fire. I have an idea." She dashed away, stopping to toss a pair of Fire spells in the air. "Resist this, stuffy old pork face!" she said. From her armlet, she cast a Big Guard spell around herself, then she yanked all the materia orbs out of her shuriken. She hefted the sharpened tire-iron to her shoulder, and assumed a "come hither" stance at the plane.

"As my father says . . ."

The first few shots punched the ground in front of her.

"Eagles may fly . . ."

She drew back her arm, chanting a prayer to Da-Chao, aiming for the whirring pod just below the right wing. As the shots sizzled off her barrier she hurled her weapon, her body spinning full circle before she could dive for cover. Her barrier burst with a thunderclap, leaving her stunned and nearly deaf, yet alive. A grating sound and pall of black smoke told her her weapon had hit home. The plane slowed and sputtered. Righting itself, it tipped back too far, the left wing scraping a streak across the plain before the plane dragged itself down in a final crunch.

Yuffie lay sprawled across the dirt, staring at the sky, afraid to move.

"But weasels don't get sucked into jet engines," Barret said, standing over her. She coughed, the fading green energy of the Life spell sparkling around her.

"Nice shot, if I dare say so myself," Barret said. "Now let's go finish those bastards. Can you walk?"

Yuffie punched out a Cure of her own followed by a White Wind spell. The soothing, alien yet familiar energy cleared her head and senses. She stood up, if still dizzy.

"Yea. Let's paste 'em." She took a step and keeled forward. Barret's arm snagged her about the waist.

"Man, I can't believe I'm doing this. First that Jenova kid on the _Highwind_ nearly rips my arm off, and now I'm supporting the world's most annoying sixteen year old brat."

"Almost seventeen."

"Whatever."

"And thanks." Yuffie blushed. "I can stand now."

"Yes. Well, uh."

Yuffie rooted around in the charred grass, dropping to her knees and running her hands through soot in search of the missing materia. Unlike most people, she had a materia sense that caused her fingers to tingle whenever she got near one of the magical orbs. The only drawback? She had to divest herself of any high powered materia she carried in order to use this sense.

"Here Barret, hold this."

"Your armlet?"

"Any movement from the plane?"

"Just smoke. What are you doing?"

"My materia."

Barret grunted. Still he stayed, bending to help in the search. There. The last of her materia found, she snatched back her armlet, running her fingers over it to check if all its orbs remained.

"Thanks," she remembered to say. "He took my Aquamarine and my Ifrit. Tifa has another Ifrit but, oh, let's just peel our favorite butler out of his plane. Do you have a can opener attachment for that arm?"

They started for the downed plane. That wing had cut a hundred meter furrow in the earth, a furrow that grew more ragged as they approached the wreck. Debris and small fires dotted their path.

"Hey, there's your weapon. It's now 3-D," Barret said.

"Whoa. My Dad's gonna kill me for this."

Yuffie nudged the twisted metal blades of her once faithful weapon, its four prongs now twisted into different directions.

"Maybe you could start an impressionist art museum."

She snorted. "I was getting tired of that Hawkeye thing anyway. They don't make real shurikens up in Icicle Inn. I'll hit up the weapon shop back home. He always has something hidden away and I know he's bug-eyed over my Comet materia.

"You gonna give up a materia?"

"Relax, big guy. I'll give him the brand new one when I've mastered mine, in exchange for his new materia when he masters his Comet."

"Sounds like promising your first born son."

"Materia. They're all like children to me."

"Only they're more mature."

Yuffie pretended not to hear. They approached the downed craft, close enough to hear the tick, tick, ticking of the cooling metal. Tendrils of smoke snaked from the twisted plane and from clumps of turf. A coppery tang of spent mako hung in the air, thick enough to taste.

"Damn Shinra and their mako engines," Barret said. "Killin' the Planet."

"Luckily Wutai has no major mako deposits," Yuffie said. "Else they'd be dropping their filthy reactors here." She looked back toward the peak of Da-Chao, then northeast toward the dark towers, albeit not visible from here. "Unless they've found one. That would explain those towers."

A grating sound jerked her back to attention. The wreckage began to move as if a slumbering giant had awakened to find itself covered in scrap metal.

"What the hell?" Leveling his gun, Barret backed up.

Yuffie took a step back as well. She fumbled through her loose materia, found what she wanted, turning her focus back to the crash.

The hulk shuddered. The grating grew louder until with a pop, a flat gray cylinder emerged. It dropped to the other side.

"Is the damn thing giving birth?"

"No. It's an escape capsule. Portek, you bastard!" Yuffie activated her spell.

Barret began to fire but ceased. Ricochet. The cylinder rose and hovered. When it spun around to face them, Barret opened fire anyway but the bullets pinged harmlessly off its smooth exterior.

"Duck!" Yuffie's Comet spell shrieked down like a second moon, shattering the wreckage like shards of crockery. Portek rode in his floating cigar and, apparently choosing not to argue with raining planets, whirled off toward the horizon.

"Come back!" Yuffie fired another Comet, this one detonating far afield. "I can't believe he got away. He's just a butler, for crying out loud!"

"Everyone knows the butler always did it. Remind me never to get one of my own."

"Hey, big guy, you don't need anyone to answer your doors."

"Tell me something, Yuffie."

"Yes?"

"Why were you so offended when that Simon guy called you the Flower of Wutai? It sounds like a term of endearment."

Yuffie stared at the dirt. She scuffed her boot. "Flower of Wutai was my Dad's pet name for my mother. Every picture I have of her shows her with magnolia blossoms in her hair. I'm - I'm no flower."

Barret paused. "Your mother. She died when you were, how old?"

Yuffie held up one finger, but she did not look up.

Barret grunted.

"Sometimes I feel like I remember her. I smell a certain flower, hear a certain song. There's a music box in my Dad's bedroom. Sometimes he plays it, late at night. Always makes me want to cry." She pawed the ground again, thought about saying more but lost her nerve. She wiped her eyes with her forearm.

She hopped up, putting on as perky an image as she could. "Let's get back. Maybe my father can figure out a way to track him."

"Good idea," Barret said. "I'd like to get my hands on - oh hell." He looked at his gun arm and shook his big head, trying to suppress a laugh.

Yuffie bubbled over with her own laughter. "I think, big fella, you still have your hand on him."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter VIII**

 **Paint the Town**  
 _"That weapon. What kind of abomination is it?" - Cloud_

Tifa did not recall the town of Lee's Camp having more than a picnic bench and a broken water fountain covered in dead grass beside the road that curved up towards Mt. Corel. Perhaps it had sped by in a blur during their original pursuit of Sephiroth, as so many farms and villages had. Now as she stared up at the bald hillsides, she wondered why Vincent had insisted they set up camp here.

"He says she will pass by this point," Cloud said, frowning up at the Corel Mountains. "Whether she heads for Mt. Corel or the desert, she will pass through here." He scuffed his foot in the loose dirt. "From that bluff up there, we can see the whole valley."

"She could angle to the coast," Tifa said.

"In that case," Cloud said, "We redeploy to Desert Springs and move in to Fulsom's Crossing where I bet we catch her feeding at the hog barns."

"What hog barns?"

"Shinra's Pig-in-a-Can division. Centrally packed meat." Cloud shrugged. "She likes to skirt inhabited areas, areas inhabited by humans at least. A mass of livestock may prove too tempting."

"Today," Vincent said, "I have no reports of depredation. She seems to be in a type of remission."

"Maybe she's full," Tifa said. "How many sheep souls can one person eat? What do we do when we catch her?"

Vincent heaved a golf-bag sized bundle out of the chocobo cart. "I will attempt to leave her unharmed, though I won't guarantee she will extend the favor to us."

Cloud looked up the slope, at a trail twisting up to the rock of the bluff. The site made Tifa think of brick ovens.

"We have a big climb ahead of us," Cloud said.

An hour later, Tifa plopped down to rest on a smooth ledge. Looking down over the land, she realized how far they had climbed. The view stretched all the way to the smudge on the horizon where land met sea. From the slopes they had climbed, the land unfolded into grass and sparse jungle, all of which played out like one of those quilts her mother used to sew in Nibelheim. Tifa examined the forked roadway they had traveled. One fork led up to Mt. Corel while the other led through Lee's Camp on its way to the big desert. She bundled her long hair in her lap to brush the debris out of it. Vincent set up his tripod and sighted down into the valley while Cloud paced like a caged dog behind them.

"You just going to blow her away with an anti-tank missile, Vincent?" she asked.

"This is a backup system." He took another sight reading. "In case we need to take down something huge."

Tifa looked from the few toy cars crawling along below to the over-sized cannon next to her. That ammo, those bullets looked larger than the late Scarlet's lipstick casings. She wondered how Vincent had lugged all that it up here but then again, he floated just off the ground when he needed to. He didn't appear hot in his vampire cape, either.

"I have to do something," Cloud said, stopping mid-pace.

"She will come," Vincent said.

"How can you be sure?"

Vincent pointed with his metal hand. "Patterns."

Tifa turned away from them. Their bickering may help them cope but it grated on her. Years later, she may look back on these times and laugh. Great. It sounded like something Aeris would say. Aeris. Her mind flashed back to that horrible scene at the Ancient Lake. She shivered, despite the heat. Still, no sense dwelling on such -

"Wait, what's that?"

Cloud and Vincent stopped their banter and turned.

"What? I don't know," Cloud said.

"Motorcade," Vincent said.

"Can't be Rufus," Tifa said. "He only goes by helicopter."

"It's Shinra, though," Cloud said. "We should prepare."

Tifa checked her materia. Her Powersoul glove did not have linked slots but it packed a mean punch and its four materia grew in power fast. This landscape looked natural for a Titan summon as well. Even if the camo-colored trucks turned out to contain nothing but livestock feed, she relished a chance to mix it up with those blue marionettes. Where do they all come from? Did Shinra harvest them in an underground minion garden? No - she recalled her youth in Nibelheim, where jobs had become so scarce that young people - including young Cloud - went off to join SOLDIER to escape. Most never made it into the elite corps, instead finding themselves stuffed inside blue suits. Faceless minions, just following orders.

Below, the trail of gray trucks reached the fork and paused before turning towards Lee's Camp. Behind the third truck, glimmering like a hot iron in the sun, a silver limousine pulled to a stop. A coppery smudge of mako exhaust spewed in its wake. Tifa's two companions shifted.

"Disgusting," Vincent said. "If I knew Hojo was in that car, I'd vaporize it."

Cloud said, "Think Shinra is heading over to Dio's prison to break him out?"

"Unlikely," Vincent said. "Those trucks are not desert capable."

"They could have buggies inside."

"If so, it means fewer troops. Dio could hold them off if it came to that."

"So who's in the limo?"

Vincent lifted a pair of metal binoculars to his eyes. "Tinted glass," he said. He twisted a silver knob. Tifa heard a high pitched beep. He peered again, then lowered the glasses. "As I feared."

"What?" Cloud said. "They have," he swallowed, "my mother in there?"

"No." He handed the device to Cloud, who peered through it for a full minute.

"Who is she?"

"Carmine. Scarlet's older, jealous cousin. Shinra's new second in command."

"Carmine. I've never met her."

"Just as well. She's smarter than her firebrand cousin but colder. Also, rumor has it she is mako enhanced."

Tifa felt a shiver at that; she watched as six of the nine trucks pulled off the road, flanking the silver limo in a triangle. The other three trucks moved to block the roads in each direction away from their camp.

The two nearest the limo opened their rear doors to disgorge a score of troops each. They marched in orderly blue rows to the car itself, saluting as one when the limo's back door opened.

Tifa could barely make out the gray-suited blonde woman who stepped out into the sunlight but she would call the figure regal and beautiful, if in an ice queen sort of way. At the woman's command, more trucks opened. The troops split into two groups and unloaded pieces of wheeled hardware, mostly long guns and rocket launchers that looked to Tifa able to shoot down airplanes. They arranged their weaponry along a rocky outcropping, the guns pointed down into the valley they had just left.

"Looks as if they're after the same thing we are," Tifa said. "Unless there's something bigger out there."

More truck doors opened. Additional troops climbed out, these carrying heavy swords.

"SOLDIERs?" Cloud said. "This is a major operation."

"Overkill," Tifa said. "Though I'm rooting for your mother."

Vincent raised his spyglass again. "That is an impressive array of firepower. Those look like the stinger rockets they used against Wutai. Now, that's strange."

"What?"

"They are loading grenades into a launcher but they handle them as if they are a plague virus, using hazard suits and long tongs."

"Let me see," Cloud said.

Vincent handed him the telescope and pointed.

"I, I can't make out the writing. Ah, now someone is standing in the way." He frowned. "Poor ambush, really. Shinra is getting sloppy. Either that or they think she will be attracted by the crowd."

"They'd have done better if they'd staked out some livestock," Tifa said.

"Perhaps they're after something else? Perhaps, my, mother, is not the only threat loose out here?"

We are out here, Tifa thought. She turned that over in her mind while watching the blue suits waylay a few travelers who dared stray too close. Most turned back without incident. A couple long haul truckers from Costa del Sol seemed to argue longer, until they eventually backed their rigs along the highway and pulled off a few kilometers back. Another vehicle, a camper coming down from Mt. Corel, refused to retreat. Tifa could hear the sounds of argument becoming more heated.

"Vincent," Cloud said, "What do you say you boost that Shinra truck out of their way."

Vincent looked between Cloud and the tripod. "It would not be wise to engage when we are so outnumbered."

"I was kidding."

Tifa didn't feel so sure. The day had gotten on toward evening but the heat had not yet let up. Vincent went back to his binoculars and Cloud went back to pacing. It appeared the occupants of the camper had been placed under arrest. The family lay on the ground in the shade of a scrawny elm tree. A blue suit handcuffed each one. Shinra justice for you: no threat too small to contain.

"Carmine," Vincent said. "You wouldn't be here unless - "

Suddenly he threw down his binoculars, swiped the tripod onto its side and whirled to send Tifa sprawling across the rock.

"Vincent, what - "

"Down!" He dropped. Behind him, Cloud dropped just as fast. Something punched the mountain above them like a celestial mallet. The ground moaned; chips of rock began to rain down ahead of a roiling cloud of dust.

Tifa felt herself yanked to her feet.

"Quickly!" Cloud tugged her toward the left.

She glanced up to see the rush of boulders roaring down upon them. She ran.

A second explosion hit below their perch, shifting the ground beneath them. They raced pell-mell across the slope, parallel to the road below but angling downward, looking for any sort of cover before Shinra got a lucky hit.

With a rattle, the rock slide smacked onto their former ledge, rocks piling into a rickety cone, only to have another hit blow them to gravel. The trio hit the ground. Tifa tasted dirt and blood. She felt herself slip down the slope but she snagged a clump of ironweed and held on, thanking the Planet these plants had a root system befitting their name. Using his sword as an anchor, Cloud skidded to a stop beside her. Vincent bobbed behind him, a near-human weather vane, his cape flapping in the dusty wind like the cloak of the Grim Reaper. She noted the pall of dust now hid them from below.

"Mako grenades," Vincent said.

Indeed, the acrid scent all but choked her.

"Keep going down," Cloud panted. "Let's take the fight to them. We can't make it over the top and maybe they won't expect us to attack."

Tifa wanted nothing better. She picked herself up and started down but, finding she could barely see, stumbled to a halt.

"Problem," she said, pointing into the dust.

"Idea," Vincent said. He pointed to a red materia. "When it comes, grab on. It will be a wild ride."

"Have you ever tried this before?"

"Never." Vincent almost cracked a smile. "But Yuffie insists it works."

"I'm so going to regret this," Cloud said, "but let's do it." He stowed his sword. "I'm ready."

"Deathblow."

The thunder sounded too loud to come from a mere chocobo. As the giant chicken emerged from the gloom, Tifa and Cloud both leaped onto its back, perching awkwardly behind the cute little mog in the saddle. The ground dropped away. Tifa wriggled higher, clinging for dear life. When her hand grasped onto Cloud's, their eyes met.

He grinned like a maniac. Tifa focused on him, ignoring the furious blur beyond. "How long can he hold this summon spell?"

"Let's hope it's long enough."

The chocobo touched down on level ground with an inelastic jolt. Tifa looked up. A cluster of blue suits turned as one toward their juggernaut, staring blankly under their helmets as the chocobo slammed into their midst, strewing them like bowling pins. Cloud leaped down, drawing his sword with one motion. Tifa saw him fly forward toward a pair of SOLDIERs who looked as if they had just spotted a giant anvil hurtling from space. Tifa vaulted into her own battle. After punching herself free of the clingy blue suits, she spotted three SOLDIERs crouched around a hollow tube pointed up the mountain. One of them, wearing thick gray mitts, lifted a glowing green capsule, holding it aloft with tongs before lowering it toward the tube.

Shrieking her battle cry, Tifa kicked him hard in the helmet. The SOLDIER flew back and lay inert in the dust. The green capsule bounced into the air, turning end over end in a hypnotic arc. One SOLDIER drew his sword. The other stared, frozen as the cylinder dropped toward him. His hands reached for it by reflex. Then he screamed like a table saw cutting into metal. Tifa leaped back, screaming herself as his arms erupted into green flame.

She remembered the sword wielder. She ducked. A blade decked out with materia whistled past her, black and frosty. She grabbed the man's legs and flipped him onto his back, cringing as his blade sparked off her elbow guard. She thanked the Planet she had listened to John's advice and added metal guards to her outfit; elbow, wrist, knee and ankle guards also served as handy weapons in a pinch. Hence the old standby knee to the groin packed more of a punch, even if her opponent wore a crotch guard, which this SOLDIER, to his sorrow, did not.

With the warrior whimpering in a fetal position, Tifa turned her attention back to his burning comrade. The poor man's screams became bubbly yet more piercing. Green fire raced up and down his body. His flesh melted as if doused in napalm, a devilish weapon Shinra had used toward the end the Wutai war. Tifa stumbled back, half afraid the man would flame out by hurling himself against her.

"My God, what is that?" she asked no one in particular. After a pause, she touched her Destruct materia and sent a Death spell in his direction. Not a spell she liked to use since most creatures deserving of it proved resistant and also because the Shinra Peace Preservation troops like to use it as crowd control. (Even then, the trusty Fire and Bolt spells worked better.) This time, the human torch slumped with a final sigh. The green fire, as if delighted by the surrender of life, flared into a final cone before dying down to a dull glow. The heat of it forced Tifa back, hand over her face to quell the stench of corrupted mako.

The newly soprano SOLDIER came to life and snaked out a hand to snag her ankle, jerking her sideways to the dirt. They brawled, exchanging kicks and jabs, Tifa batting away his fallen sword. He belted her several times before she managed to jam a knee into his solar plexus. They broke apart with his "Oof!" Still, the sneaky twerp recovered enough to dive for his sword.

Rage clouded her vision. She kicked him in the side, followed with more strikes, launching him into a cadre of his companions. She leapt forward to meet the last four SOLDIERs. Dimly she heard her inner voice tell her to get control, act human, but her mind swam in its swirl of red mist, seeing only enemies.

Her attack came in brutal and quick. The first SOLDIER went down in a flurry of punches. The second received two kicks and an elbow jab, sending him and his sword sailing in different directions. The final two had their heads smashed into each other hard enough to meld their helmets.

Tifa whirled, alert for more threats. She spied Cloud dueling beside one of the monster trucks, a trail of bodies in his wake. She drew in a quick breath as Cloud's sword separated the head from one remaining SOLDIER, whose body stumbled two more steps before toppling in a heap. Cloud turned his fury on the truck itself, crashing his over-sized sword against the metal siding. Tifa screamed at him to be quiet - the noise would make her head explode.

"Incompetent fools!" A regal voice rang out over the battle, Stopping Cloud mid-swing. The voice continued, "You can't take care of two ragtag terrorists? I suppose I'll have to take care of them myself!"

Tifa scanned the area for the owner of the voice. From behind the trucks, a cloud of white vapor flowed in and swirled over the bodies, even squelching the stench of spoiled mako. Tifa saw the bodies of the fallen begin to rise, with the exception of the headless wonder next to Cloud.

"White Wind?" Tifa said to herself. "I like it better when we use it." Feeling more in control of her sanity now, she threw out a Big Guard spell for herself and Cloud. The SOLDIERs, looking none too happy at the pair, began to close in a circle about them, though their blue suit toadies fell back and broke into a full retreat.

The SOLDIERs shuffled closer. One of them knocked into a metal box, out of which poured out a putrid smoke and a dozen more green vials. All of them froze. They looked at the vials. Each pulsed with a leathery, green glow like an egg of a mind sucking demon.

One SOLDIER took a half-hearted swing at Tifa before he, with the others, fell back in the direction of the blues. Tifa hurried to Cloud who pointed along the road.

"Hurry," he said, "before, it gets, too much, to handle."

Tifa followed him. The air cleared, smelling sweet once they passed the trucks. The silver limo stood on a patch of gravel. Another pair of trucks sat parked beyond it. Cloud cast a Regen spell on the two of them. Tifa looked at Cloud, who pointed at the limo. She nodded.

Taking a defiant pose, he called out, "Show yourself! Cease this pointless attack!"

"May I help you, children?" The regal blonde woman, dressed in a smart gray suit, strode into the clearing, flanked by two hard-bodies dressed only in boxing trunks, their mako-glowing eyes the only indication she hadn't grabbed two drop outs from Mukki's wrestling team. The woman's suit had enough style to hold court in the boardroom, yet looked sturdy enough to repel bullets on the rifle range. She wore an armlet bristling with materia, one of which glowed a cold lavender. Tifa wondered what kind of magical menace it represented. She also noted the woman's poise, the denim pumps with stainless steel spikes - don't tell me she goes out for a morning run in those, she thought - to the cold blue mako glow of her eyes. On top of that, she looked drop dead gorgeous. Tifa could picture legions of macho stud muffins lining up just to have her plant her stiletto heels through their wooden foreheads.

"That weapon," Cloud said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder, "What kind of abomination is it?"

"Invert mako. It's everything invert sugar isn't. You do cook, don't you, sweetie?" She looked at Tifa.

"What are you doing here?" Tifa asked.

"Oh, I could ask you the same thing. You see, I am on a recovery mission, and what should I recover but a pair of terrorists. Including their leader, no less. Cloud? Your notoriety precedes you, though I can't say I'm impressed with your handmaiden. Tiffie, isn't it?"

"Tifa." She clenched her teeth.

"Oh yes. The barmaid. Still dressing the part, I see. Not enough men in your life? Big beefy hunk here still loony as a bat cave? How was it he claimed to have killed Sephiroth? Ah, yes. Got himself stabbed in the stomach. Then, using those abs of steel, he levered the great Sephiroth over the mako pit and hurled him into the reactor." She clucked her tongue. "All because Sephiroth couldn't think to let go of his sword. Then again, you know about men and their swords." She clucked again and turned to Cloud. "That must have left a wicked scar. Do you have any problems with incontinence?"

Tifa clenched and unclenched her fists. How she would enjoy ruining that immaculate make-up, those pearly whites polished to a shine.

"And you are?" Cloud said.

"Why, I'm surprised you haven't heard of me. I'm Carmine, head of Shinra Weapons Development. And unlike Scarlet, I'm also the executive vice president." she smirked. "The job comes with these two darlings." She nudged her companions. "Meet Hamm and Stu."

They bowed slightly in turn. They looked like twins, Hamm with curly dark hair and Stu a straighter, sandy blond. They each put a hand on Carmine's nearest shoulder.

Carmine reached out and squeezed their biceps. She grinned. "They serve me well."

"I'll bet," Tifa said.

"You two," Carmine's voice grew stern, "have caused me a great deal of trouble. True, you alerted me the incompetence of my troops, but that's to be expected. Good help is hard to find. We at Shinra are on the cusp of great deeds, a new age of - "

"Talk a lot, don't you?" Cloud said.

"I'm sorry. Did I use words with more than one syllable?" Carmine's mako eyes flashed. "My recovery mission may fail but I'll settle for the two heads of Avalanche, mounted on pikes if I can find any. Rufus could never corral you but he has trouble catching kittens. Boys? Seize them."

Tifa snapped off another Big Guard spell. Cloud fronted with his sword. No one attacked at first, though Carmine's boys edged back and around, looking as if to flank them. Tifa watched Carmine; the woman would not wipe that smug smile off her face. Tifa felt her spine shiver.

Hamm opened with a Fire spell. Tifa shrugged it off as it flared off her Barrier. Cloud pivoted to keep both Carmine and Stu in view. Stu smiled and gave Cloud the 'come hither' gesture.

Tifa sized up the scene. Lady executive in a suit, her body guards standing not in front but behind her, as if inviting Tifa to step in and deliver a knock-out punch.

"Aren't you going to fight?" Carmine said. "Or is it true you let your boyfriend do all the work? You should really try the top position once in awhile."

"Shut up!"

"Oh dear." Carmine's eye twinkled. "Did I upset your prim sensibilities? I'd never expect such from a skanky slum barmaid. But maybe you frequent one of those quaint little churches they have down there? One where a senile geezer in cast-off robes mutters some drivel about peace, good grace, and petting kittens, when all that really matters is service to the Company?" She spread her arms toward her beach bum bodyguards. "What more could I want? Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac."

Sooner or later, Tifa thought, she will get to me. I'll walk right into her trap.

"As for you, I'll bet the only time you get any is when they leave a thousand gil note on your dresser."

Oh, to hell with it.

Tifa made as if to spring, but instead jumped back and triggered her Titan summon.

From inside the red glow that followed, Tifa saw Carmine jerk up her arms to meet the expected charge. A pair of razor sharp wrist blades shot out and slashed at chest level. Now that would have hurt . . .

Tifa's Titan appeared, the giant reaching down and pulling up the earth, trying to tip it onto the enemy. Hamm and Stu found themselves pelted by a hailstorm of rocks, though they appeared barely more than dazed. Tifa cursed mako enhanced SOLDIERs. Carmine, however, shrugged and brushed a mote of dust off her shoulder.

I hate spell immunities, Tifa thought.

Stu barely held his ground against Cloud's assault. Hamm, cracking his macho grin that he probably thought reduced all barmaids to quivering pools of lust, tweaked Tifa with another Fire spell. The distraction almost caused Tifa to miss Carmine's darting thrust.

Tifa twisted aside, kicking out to trip but finding only air. Carmine flashed in again, aiming for Tifa's knees, a blow Tifa evaded with a leap. Carmine came back at her in a blink, forcing Tifa into a pair of back flips to avoid those wicked wrist blades.

In slammed another Fire spell. Tifa expected it this time and dodged, forcing Carmine off balance into the flames, though they too fizzled off her suit.

I want the name of her tailor, Tifa thought. In the background, Stu barely avoided Cloud subdividing him. At least one part of the battle went well.

Tifa paused for breath. Carmine smiled. Tifa ducked in for a quick kick, finally catching Carmine behind the knee. The woman stumbled but Hamm spoiled Tifa's follow-up with another annoying fire spell. Off balance, she still managed to knock Carmine away with a hook kick. It did her heart good to hear the power-suit woman snarl.

Tifa jumped back to dodge another Fire spell and Carmine rush, this time with whistling blades and snappy kicks. Tifa grabbed for and caught the woman's spiked foot, jerking her leg so the woman hit face first on the ground.

"Ha!"

Not allowing Carmine to recover, Tifa yanked the leg again while ducking away from Carmine's other foot. Yikes - stiletto spikes of actual metal? Tifa kicked Carmine's free leg in the shin and heard a satisfying squeal of pain. Stabbing her blades at the ground, Carmine tried an anchor flip but Tifa whipped Carmine's body sunny side up, twisting Carmine's wrists into awkward angles. The foot near Tifa's face still had on it's metal spiked shoe, which Tifa tore off and hurled away. Carmine's right leg stretched out on the ground so Tifa planted both boots just above Carmine's knee. Power-suit woman grunted again. Tifa jerked Carmine's left leg straight upward. Pushing on, Tifa shoved the foot toward Carmine's face, yanking down on the toes to keep Carmine's knee locked. She watched Carmine's face grow red with strain.

"Nnngggh!"

"Can you do the splits? Call off your goons or we'll find out."

"N-n-never! Kill, that, ugh - "

"Wrong answer, sweetie!"

Tifa heard another clash of swords and a scream. Something soft thudded behind her.

Carmine twisted, trying to wrench a wrist blade free of the ground.

"Not happening." Tifa snatched the woman's wrist. "You stay pinned."

They wrestled and spat but Tifa held on, her superior strength keeping that leg pinned between their bodies, pushing Carmine's knee into her immaculate face.

"Hamm! D-do something!" Carmine's wail had gone from furious to desperate.

An explosion. In her field of vision Tifa saw Cloud fly past and bounce off the side of the nearest truck.

"What the - "

A blast of ice slammed into her back, knocking her loose. She rolled across the ground like a rolling pin. When she fetched up against the truck tires, she saw Carmine wobble to her feet, rage etched on her face.

Sounds of combat came from the far side of the truck but Tifa couldn't think about that. Stu lay in a heap; a short distance away lay his sword with his arm still holding it. Tifa winced.

"You," Carmine said after something slammed the truck hard enough to wobble its bed. Carmine's walk wobbled about as much. "I, hate you." She waved her wrist blades. "So I'm going to gut you. Your boyfriend - " She motioned toward Cloud, who stood using his sword as a cane. "I'll just take his head. As for you," She spread her arms. "These trucks have wooden panels up front. I'll nail you to one, slit your belly and let you stare at your guts all the way back to base. How does that grab you?"

Tifa raised herself to one elbow. Her head pounded and she lacked the strength for more than a minor Cure spell.

"You don't approve? Too bad. You fight dirty."

"Dirty?" Tifa pushed herself up. Cloud swigged a potion bottle.

"I bet you pull hair, too. My cousin liked to do that." Carmine activated a yellow materia, casting a White Wind on her comrades and herself.

Hamm smirked and threw another Fire spell at Tifa, who barely managed to roll aside.

"You work out, don't you. Hard, muscular arms. Almost like a man." Carmine smirked. "Except, no one would mistake you for a man, would they?"

Carmine took the shoe Hamm handed her and slipped it back on.

"Your point?" Tifa said.

"I'll enjoy pounding nails through your firm flesh."

"No wonder you're not married," Tifa said.

"Who needs marriage? I have two fine specimens here. Stu, pick up your arm. You call yourself a SOLDIER so act like one. Anyway, Tiffie, all you have is that spiky haired freak who can drool almost as well as he can fight."

Tifa saw Cloud roll his eyes. He tossed a potion at her feet. It had a bright red X on the label.

"Maybe I should feed you this," Tifa said, "And see if you dry up like that monster in the Gi cave."

"Reliable pets, those Gi, if dumb," Carmine said.

Tifa held the potion bottle, about to pop the cork. She made as if to drink and sure enough, Carmine charged, blades extended. Tifa sprang to her feet and kicked out, connecting with the Carmine's midsection. She fell back with an "Oof!" popped back to her feet and they circled, two wolves searching for an opening. Jab. Dodge. Swipe.

Another blast of fire, this one hot enough to scorch her exposed flesh. Tifa wheeled in time to avoid the next Carmine rush. A smoky smell touched her nostrils, the smell of burning fabric, and -

"My hair!" Tifa beat on the end of the long, bundled strands, enough to get the fire out but knowing her hair would require a major cut. Carmine slashed in again but Tifa snaked out a foot and tripped her. She turned her attention to Hamm, who began powering up another maddening Fire spell. Tifa rushed him. He tried to draw his sword but she stepped in close and pounded him with a flurry of blows, driving him back against the limo where he slumped, spent.

"Lie down and stay down you swine!"

Tifa whirled to find Carmine and Cloud facing off, blades ready. Finally, a chance to drink her potion. Meanwhile, something slammed into the far truck. What? Wait.

"Vincent?"

"Come on, you fight like a choirboy," Carmine said. "I have a gift for you. I think you'll love this." She touched a red materia. "Palmer's Terror!"

Palmer? The fat guy who got hit by a -

An air horn startled Tifa, who turned to see an onrushing truck. No ordinary truck: from its grille of chrome teeth, a snake tongue flicked across its bubble windows, which opened to spew a gout of exhaust along with its next horn blast.

Tifa yelped and vaulted onto the roof of the limo, but not fast enough to avoid a clip from the demon truck. An instant later she lay supine in the dirt, watching Cloud struggle to his feet behind the calm Carmine.

"Not smart enough to stay down? Eat my Spiritual Hammer." Carmine touched the mystery lavender materia. Above Cloud, a massive silver mallet took shape, spinning full circle before smashing onto that spiky bird's nest he called hair. Cloud managed to deflect the brunt of it with his sword but he sank to the ground, his hairdo squashed like flattened dandelions.

Tifa pulled herself up and fell upon Carmine, who flung Tifa away like a dirty dishrag. Tifa hit the ground and lay still on her left side.

"As for you, I give you my Tears of Elysium."

Tifa's world darkened. Images reversed their colors, revealing a dark landscape dotted with pink rocks. Out of the hellish sky dripped salvos of ice-cold pain. Barely able to breathe, Tifa went rigid as each impact shot a bolt of agony through her body. Pound, pound, pound, like the world's worst migraine. Her hands became claws and tore at the earth, as her head squeezed tighter in its vise, until finally, after what seemed like hundreds of blows, the hail of pain stopped. In its wake, Tifa floated in a sea of dull aches. As long as she dared not move, she could bear it.

She heard the roar of an angry beast mixed with the crackle of lightning. She dimly saw Carmine's two bodyguards (Hamm back up again? Cripes.) dance a jig amidst the sparkles, though Carmine herself strode through the storm as if pushing aside a curtain of beads. The light show made Tifa's head burn.

"Why, if it isn't Vincent, Hojo's freak. Eat my Ax of Torment." Again the lavender materia glowed. Tifa caught a glimpse of an enormous glowing battle-ax. Confusion followed, a beast's scream of pain, though apparently it still stood because Carmine tumbled head over heels across Tifa's field of vision. The beast, an over-sized walking corpse with several deep wounds, stumbled into view. Carmine tried to jab with her wrist blades but her weapons bounced off its rocky skin.

Suddenly Tifa spotted another figure. Standing almost invisible in the shadow of the farthest truck, a tired young woman in cast-off clothing stared at the combatants as they jousted and parried. Tifa raised an arm and pointed, not realizing she had done so until it flopped back to the dirt. When Tifa looked again, the woman had gone. Imagination? Her head hurt worse than Vincent looked.

How could Raine, Cloud's mother, go walking around five years after she died? And yet, there she had stood. Just now.

Carmine found herself taking a beating now, almost pressed back against her limo. Inexplicably the beast changed tactics, loosing a flurry of impotent lightning bolts, which allowed Carmine to catch her breath long enough to say, "Missile of patience."

"What now?" Tifa moaned.

The lavender materia again: a glowing ballista emerged from the earth and fired a volley of bolts at the surprised beast, who staggered and grunted with each blow. Carmine ducked under Vincent's reach and summoned yet another White Wind, boosting her two helpers to their feet. Tifa realized now how maddening it must seem for enemies to fight their group when they had Aeris in their party. My, she could use Aeris right now.

The ballista vanished. The beast crumpled in on itself and melted into the cloaked figure of Vincent. Carmine barely gave him a second look.

"The world is full of freaks," she said. "Damn stupid Hojo. I'm always cleaning up his messes."

Hamm helped steady her while dusting off her suit. He gave Tifa a leer of victory.

"Shall I, sample the merchandise?" he said, his speech accented.

Carmine smacked him. "You'd do well to remember who wears the blades in this family. I need you to help with Stu." She reached down to retrieve the stray arm. "I told you," she told the one-armed man, "to pick up after yourself."

"Yes ma'am."

"Pay attention next time." She slapped his face with his disembodied hand.

"Yes ma'am."

"Now hold still."

"Yes ma'am."

"Hamm? Keep him from jerking."

Carmine held the arm up to Stu's body. Hamm helped her guide it into place. He held it there as if waiting for super-glue to set.

"Steady now," she said. "Steady." Her body stiffened as if in a trance. A lavender glow again began to swirl around her. "Blood Bridge."

Tifa heard a wet, ripping sound. A gout of something red spurted forth from Carmine's chest - with the woman's back to her, Tifa thankfully missed the details - and flew into Stu's ruined arm and shoulder. Bits of it spattered on Hamm as well. Tifa swallowed hard. Carmine staggered, if only a second.

"Damn," said Hamm, looking green himself. "Creeps me out when you do that."

Tifa looked away until her stomach settled. Glancing at Vincent, she saw him lying with his eyes open. His hand, his good hand, inched toward his materia.

"Now," Hamm said, "Can I take out the trash?"

"Yes, but save the girl for me. I intend to take my time becoming acquainted with her." She flicked her wrist blades twice for effect. "Intimately."

"Oh, yes ma'am." Hamm smirked at Tifa. "I'll just get poor Stu to rehab, shall I?"

Carmine ignored him. She turned around, looking over at Tifa. Smiling. She sauntered forward, a hip-swinging stride down down a fashion runway. In the air, she traced Tifa's body with the tip of a blade, biting her lip as if in thought.

Tifa lay immobile, wondering if she had enough energy for a quick summon, if even it would do any good. Perhaps a surprise jab to the throat? Except her arms lay leaden, barely any feeling in them. No, she would never expect it. Nor would Tifa.

"So, my pretty - " Carmine jumped as her cell phone chimed. With a grunt, she straightened and answered.

"Better be good." Pause. "Wow, really?" Pause. "Sighted? Coming our way? Okay, I'm a tad busy right now, can - now? But I'm just - you don't underst - I - yes sir. Right away sir."

She snapped the phone shut. "How can that moron be the president of the company!"

"Eh, boss?" Hamm said.

"Stu, after you stop crying about your arm, you're with me. Hamm, carry on here." She leaned down toward Tifa. "As for you . . . "

Carmine's kick almost drove her stomach out through her spine. Tifa gasped, unable to draw breath, when the next kick connected with her head. Finally, blessed blackness.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter IX**

 **Tifa's First Haircut**  
 _"Especially when the man in question has all the emotional responses of a stapler." - Tifa_

"Ow. My head," Tifa said. "How am I, still alive?"

A woman answered. "Rest. You'll feel better soon."

Tifa lay still, eyes closed. She heard Vincent say, "She was injured worse than any of us."

"I feel awful, too," Cloud said. "Not to mention embarrassed. Beaten by a fashion model and her two gorillas? I'll never hear the end of it from Yuffie."

"In Cid's words," Vincent said, "We just got our asses whupped back there."

"There now." The woman's voice came again. Tifa felt a wet cloth on her forehead. She breathed a minty perfume that send waves of coolness flowing up her sinuses into her brain. The pain immediately blunted. She drew long breaths before finally opening her eyes.

"First time I ever enjoyed a brain freeze."

She lay on a soft cot in a shaded room. Nearby, Vincent sat by another bed, talking to Cloud. Bending over her she saw a young, blue-haired woman with pale skin that gleamed - a contrast to the orange to brown complexions of most folks in this sunny climate. This woman's hair grew almost as long as Tifa's own. (Well, before that creep had set it on fire. Sigh.)

"Welcome back to the living." Ms. Blue Hair smiled down at her. "I'm Ryanne, by the way, the local healer."

"I feel like, I know you."

"If you bet on the chocobo races in the Golden Saucer, you probably met my cousins. Except they cut their hair." Ryanne giggled and fluffed a handful. "Since we stand out in a crowd, why not work in a crowd? So they say."

"I feel like I've been dead."

"Close. You had a nasty concussion. It took a few miracles to wake you from your coma. I worried for a bit but I rarely lose any patients."

"Teef." Cloud turned his blue eyes on her. "Just go for the knockout blow next time. Why mess around with the leg stuff? We could have studied that lavender materia."

"I know but she really ticked me off and I wanted to hurt her." She blinked at the ceiling. "Guess I blew it for us. I'm sorry."

"I don't blame you for getting mad. Just don't let her bait you next time we fight."

Tifa did not look forward to another round.

"Torture only works in the movies, Teef."

"I - never mind." Then Tifa had a thought. "Say Ryanne. Are you, by any chance, an Ancient? Or maybe part Ancient?"

Ryanne smiled again. "Alas, no. My grandmother, Selani, did tell me stories of the Stone house. Up on the hill. Her husband, my grandfather, died in a mining accident, so to support herself and my mother, Gran got a housekeeping job up there. The Stones - their names - were kind to her and taught her about healing herbs and rituals."

"They taught you well."

"I do use materia like you do but I don't find it, comforting." She tapped a pair of green orbs. "Gran told me the Stone family could speak to the land itself. Farmers would ask them for crop advice or to help a cow give birth. And the crops were plentiful in those days."

"I hate to ask, but what happened to the Stone Family?"

"About the time I was born, Shinra came to town. They wanted to put up one of those fancy reactors of theirs. The Stones warned us that burning the Planet's mako would poison the Lifestream, so our town refused. Shinra beat up a few folks and shot out some windows but eventually they went elsewhere to build their reactor. But soon, one night the Stone House exploded in a big fireball and no one heard from the family again. Then the crops started to fail."

"That's dreadful," Tifa said.

"My mother never took to healing and herbs. She runs a shop for tourists. She'll sell you some painted pottery if you like. Her brother and my cousins moved to work in the Gold Saucer. But I stayed and asked Gran to teach me the healing arts."

"I'm lucky you did."

"Mum painted this pot. See?"

Ryanne picked up a water jug, on which someone had painted a pastoral scene. The intricate brushwork beckoned Tifa to step through to that other world.

"It grows on you, doesn't it?" Ryanne said.

Tifa nodded.

"Some say the Stone family may have survived. When I was a girl, I went exploring the ruins up there. I found what looked like a tunnel opening. I wanted to explore it but the darkness scared me. Good thing, too, since the opening collapsed later that year."

"Maybe they did escape through the tunnel?"

"If so, where are they? The land is dying. Except up there. I grow my herbs near their wellspring just like Gran did."

Tifa considered. "Every time I hear about the Ancients it comes down to the same sad story."

Cloud said, "It comes down to Shinra. They destroy everything they touch. They only create monsters, like Sephiroth."

Vincent spoke up. "John spoke of an old Xee leader named Gregor Granth. I remember the man. Arrogant, ambitious, rising through the ranks. He had a real cruel streak. He and Hojo could have been soul brothers."

"What does that tell us?" Cloud said.

"Aeris told me how Shinra once enlisted the help of Gregor in something called Operation Black Wind. I had never heard of the project. Then again, I was out of the loop for some time."

One way of putting it, Tifa thought. Sleeping in a coffin for twenty-seven years will put you behind the latest trends.

"She says Black Wind was an attempt by Shinra to exterminate the Ancients."

"Oh my God," Ryanne said. "You mean, this happened all over?"

"It would explain why, if they survived, your Stone family went into hiding."

They remained silent for several minutes. Ryanne made up another herbal poultice and lay it on Tifa's neck, just above the collarbone. Tifa smiled as the tingling warmth moved down her body.

"What happened back at the wayside, Vincent?" Cloud asked. "One moment I was charging at Carmine, and next I woke up feeling like my head was splitting open."

"Yes," Tifa said. "What kind of magic did she use on us?"

"I don't know. When I appeared, both you and Tifa were down. I took a vicious blow, barely staying conscious after changing back from my, my other form. Anyway, when Rufus called her away, I guess to deal with the creature, she left Hamm to clean up, thinking us helpless. I cast a Remove spell on him, which gave me time to load you two into a truck and drive you here.

"After finding Ryanne, I left you in her care and returned to the battlefield. I tracked down our chocobo carriage and cleaned up."

"What was that green mako fire?" Tifa said. "It was obscene."

Cloud said, "Carmine called it invert mako. Anyone ever hear of that?"

Ryanne said, "It sounds just like something Shinra would develop."

"We need to ask Nanaki about it," Cloud said.

"I collected the vials," Vincent said.

"Whoa. Is that safe?" Tifa felt a jolt of adrenaline.

"Safer with us than with Shinra. I took their launching tube as well."

"You're not thinking we'll actually use them as a weapon."

"No, but Carmine won't know that."

"Even to think of using - "

"We don't want it used on us."

"Vincent has a point," Cloud said. "But I see your point too, Tifa. Under no circumstances should we consider using that weapon."

Tifa had a thought. "Ryanne, where is this Stone House you talked about?"

"On the hillside above Shady Creek. I use its well water." She tapped the painted jug.

"As soon as I'm able to move," and Tifa had to admit that she felt much better, "Let's go up and take a look. I have a hunch."

"Regarding?" Cloud said.

"Your mother. Raine. She may be attracted there."

"Any particular reason?"

"The whole Cetra-Jenova thing. While they are mortal enemies, they seem to seek each other out. You sensed Jenova on her, right Vincent?"

"If she is seeking sites imbued with Cetra energy, she may attempt to defile them."

Ryanne drew in a sharp breath.

"I don't think so," Tifa said. "When she passed by our battle with Carmine she did not attack. In fact, she may even - "

"You saw her?" Cloud said. "At the wayside?"

"A glimpse. Though she may have been standing there longer."

Vincent said, "Perhaps her presence inflamed the fight, a mental influence. Jenova are known for that."

"I don't think so. That mako fire thing, I think that juiced us up." Tifa felt a shade of shame. "But from her? I felt nothing. She wasn't unfriendly, just sad, vacant."

Ryanne said, "Is she dangerous? I mean, is she out to harm people?"

"She has shown herself to be dangerous," Vincent said, "Perhaps by accident but look at her victims. She drains their life force, though usually not to the point of death."

"A vampire then?"

All eyes swiveled to Vincent.

"Of, sorts," Cloud stammered. "Without the, ahem, trappings."

Tifa barely suppressed a grin. "Are you thinking of John in the Shinra mansion, when we first met Vincent?"

Cloud did grin. "What a freaking disaster. But I can't help wondering if our friend John isn't somehow mixed up in this."

"How so?"

"One, he always seems to be in our way. Two, disaster follows him around like a lost puppy. Three, he just happens to have his own life force drained, when lo and behold, my dead mother pops up and starts wandering around, sapping the life force from everything she meets. Then when Nanaki performed that ritual of whatever on him, my mother stopped her rampage, content to wander about confused, like John with that broken antenna he calls a brain." Cloud cracked a wry smile. "Not that I'm one to talk."

"Hmm," Tifa said. "You know . . ."

"Tifa, call Cosmo Canyon. Find out if that ritual worked."

"Lots of people are born and die every day. It doesn't mean they're linked."

"John said he talked with my mother in Nibelheim."

Tifa paused. "Yes, but how - do you really think he, also, summoned your mother back from the dead? Maybe with Aeris' white materia?"

"Or the black materia," Vincent said. "We never did find out what happened to that."

Cloud said, "John fumbled it out of his hands at the North Crater. Aeris backs him up on that story."

"Better than handing it to Sephiroth."

"Yes. Well. Ah."

Tifa sat up, pulling the blanket with her.

Ryanne tut-tutted. "I'll have to do something about your hair. Hang on. I'll get my scissors."

Tifa lifted the end of her hair and moaned. The ends looked ragged and smelled of burnt nylon.

"Here we are," Ryanne said. "I'll fix you up in no time. Don't worry. I won't give you a buzz cut."

Cloud stood up. "Not even a Yuffie style bob cut."

Vincent took his arm and led him from the room. Their footsteps echoed down the wooden hallway.

Tifa allowed her mind to wander as Ryanne snipped away, wondering how long ago since anyone had last paid this much attention to her.

"You have gorgeous hair," Ryanne said.

Had Cloud ever said that? She could not recall.

"Thick and black. Most dark hair turns reddish in the sun. So does mine, by the way. A shade of lavender." She giggled.

"Just, leave enough to brush," Tifa said.

"Silly. I doubt you'll lose ten centimeters of it. You might, however, notice you aren't sitting on it as often."

She could learn to love that improvement.

"Nothing worse than split ends, right? Here." The healer handed Tifa a hand mirror. "You like?"

She expected a scene of devastation but when she swished her head left and right, she smiled at the way the loose strands flowed like a cascade. She smiled.

"Maybe you'll have fewer headaches?" Ryanne inserted her hands underneath Tifa's mane and began to massage her scalp. Tifa moaned, closing her eyes and leaning back.

"I wish I could teach Cloud to do this."

"You mean, he doesn't run his hands through your all this hair?"

"I wish."

"How long have you known him?"

"We grew up together."

"Ah. So you're Platonic."

"He, did go on a date with me at the Gold Saucer."

"Oh?"

"Except I had to force him."

"At least he went."

"It was either me or Aeris."

"Oh, the Ancient? I heard about her."

"Then, at the Temple of the Ancients, Cait Sith read his stupid fortune. It said Cloud and Aeris were a perfect match. I wanted to punch someone."

"Did you?"

"Wouldn't you know it, next thing, the wall attacked us. A freaking wall. So yea, I punched the Demon wall. I bruised my knuckles something awful and that made me even madder. Aeris did her Great Gospel and healed me up, but I thought, oh just leave me alone, and that made me madder than ever. So I nearly tore that stupid Demon Gate to shreds. Afterwards, when Cloud was talking with that stupid Cait Sith about his stupid plan to shrink the stupid temple into that stupid black materia, I sat down and cried my eyes out. Aeris came by and put her arms around me, told me she was sorry, that she never wanted to see me hurt. She asked what she could do for me. And you know what I said?"

"To leave Cloud to you?"

"I didn't think. Just out and said it." Her face flushed with the memory. "I wanted to take it back but I knew I couldn't. I couldn't look at her. And all she did was hold me. It made me start bawling again. My God, I was having a breakdown. Finally she told me I was the kindest person she had ever been honored to know and she would be my friend forever. Then she stared into space and said it had been a day for sacrifices. She gave me a kiss on my forehead and said she would never forget me." Tifa shuddered. "Of course, I had to start bawling again." She shivered again.

"After the temple, when Aeris ran off, I thought she had run away from Cloud and me. I felt really rotten, especially with Cloud all messed up. But then, when I saw her at the Forgotten Capital - Oh God!" Tifa broke off in sobs. Ryanne held her this time.

"You're probably afraid to tell him how you feel," Ryanne said.

Tifa started to reply, then nodded.

"No shame in that."

Tifa sniffed. "Especially when the man in question has all the emotional responses of a stapler."

Ryanne chuckled. "He does seem, repressed?"

"I think John made that stapler comment about him. I'll say one thing about that Jenova kid. He doesn't mince words. When we were facing Sephiroth in the North Crater, while the rest of us went diving for our weapons, John just stood there and taunted him about his split ends." Tifa flipped her own hair and laughed. "Sephiroth's hair was even longer than mine."

"I can see you're feeling better. Get dressed. I'll tidy up." With that, Ryanne patted Tifa's shoulder and gathered some loose implements. "Never be ashamed of your feelings, Tifa. As for Cloud, I haven't known him long but I'm sure he cares about you. He begged me to save you, when he could barely talk himself." She winked. "Good luck." She took her bundle and left the room.

Tifa had just pulled on her boots when she heard Cloud come in. She looked up but her smile faded when she saw his expression.

"What's, what's wrong?"

Cloud took a breath. "I just talked to Aeris at Cosmo Canyon."

"Is she all right?"

Cloud nodded. "John is better too, by the way. But it's Bugenhagen. He, he died today."

"Oh no! What - "

"Natural causes. Aeris says Nanaki is heartbroken."

They stared at each other. Tifa felt fresh tears in her eyes. "Poor Bugenhagen," she sniffed. I really loved that weird old guy."

"I did too. I'll miss him."

Tifa stood and hugged Cloud. With an awkward movement, he returned her embrace. Neither of them spoke. They stood, unmoving. Tifa cried some more, but the hurt felt tempered by the feeling of his arms around her.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter X**

 **No Good Deed**  
 _"It had everything except Barret dancing in his sailor suit." - Aeris_

John found himself staring into a plate of _oyako don,_ a bright mixture of chicken, egg, onions, and greens. Next to it sat a full bowl of Hiro's mystery miso goulash. After his latest episode - The Shower Scene, for want of a better phrase - food ranked lowest on his important things list. Yet he did not want to offend Hiro by refusing to eat, particularly someone who might create an entrée called Jenova Pretzel. So he took a bite, praying he wouldn't gag.

He did not throw up. In fact, the food actually settled his stomach.

"It's delicious," he said and meant it. He took another bite.

"For a while there, little one, I was afraid you might faint. You looked as green as a jolly giant.

"It was the shower." John did not elaborate. He took another bite.

"Beautiful day out, no?" Hiro reached down and snagged a couple of passed out drunks. "You eat your fill. I need to clean up."

John waved and continued his meal, feeling better with each bite. He finished this course and asked for seconds. By the time he had eaten his full, Hiro had swept and mopped the entire dining area, leaving the air smelling of lemon and spice. The first few stragglers stumbled in for their morning coffee.

"Would you like me to help?" He noticed Hiro had no staff today. Likely they too had to sleep off the effects of the party. "I can run the register for you."

"So full of energy now, little one? Save some for the concert you promised."

"I haven't felt this alive in weeks."

The customers continued to trail in. Each one wished him well as John served them coffee and pastries. The sun rose higher, warming the air. Hiro pulled the blinds and turned on the ceiling fan.

"Your coffee smells delicious. Not like that fermented tar I smelled when I was inside the Shinra building."

"Hills around Cosmo produce the second best coffee in the world. Second only to Da-Chao in Wutai."

"Looks like you have a shipment of fresh beans right here."

"The hill folk never fail to miss a party. They always bring rare trade goods. Sometimes they bring forged relics of the Ancients."

"Forged?"

"Ancient clay pots one year. Come on, they cooked them up in a giant kiln, painted flowers on the side, and tried to tell me they were authentic Cetra ceramics. Those hill people, always quick with the jokes."

John waited on more customers, then said, "Maybe I can get Aeris to throw together a few pots. Then you can have genuine - well look who's here."

Aeris smiled at him with those emerald eyes. He never could get enough of that rich green color.

"Taking up a new trade, John?"

"Maybe I just like the smell of coffee."

"It is good to see you well again."

"Last night was the wildest party I've ever slept through."

"It had everything except Barret dancing in his sailor suit."

"Where is Barret?"

"He left for Wutai. Yuffie had an emergency, started a riot or something."

"Yuffie? Barret? Somehow I'm not hearing the ringing of wedding bells."

"He _is_ twice her age." She cracked a wry grin. "Anyway, I'll have to ask why she asked for Barret. Cid has been out working on the _Highwind_ the whole time, though he did drop by for the fireworks."

"I don't recall any fireworks."

"You were out by then."

"Did any bombs go off? Maybe a hurricane or an earthquake?"

Aeris chuckled. "Good to have you back."

"How is the old _Highwind?_ Even I could tell it took one doozy of a pounding."

"Cid has a whole team of mechanics from Cosmo working on it. Bugenhagen dredged up some solar panels and they adapted them to the airship. They won't work at night but we shouldn't need to refuel as often. Also, Bugenhagen managed to acquire something called a 'huge materia.' Whatever you do, don't tell Yuffie. She'd pass out with envy."

The doors swung open and Hiro entered, carrying a limp female form in his arms.

"New bride?" John asked, noticing the flowers in her hair.

"Late for her shift."

"Oh dear," Aeris said.

The young woman opened her eyes. Moaned.

"I, I think, I think I'm going to be s-"

"No! Not on my clean floor!"

Aeris jumped in, bowing her head and summoning her Healing Wind. The woman stiffened, then relaxed. John felt the warmth soak into his body; more to the point, he felt a charge ignite his system. He looked up. He again saw the emerald colored Cetra aura swirling about Aeris, even brighter than he remembered.

"You did it, Aeris! You did it!"

"It was just a Healing Wind. Not as if I summoned Holy."

"I absorbed it. Just like the old days. Oh, I love you, Aeris!" He raced over the counter and threw himself into her arms.

"Whoa." She staggered under the assault.

"On your feet, dearie," John heard Hiro say to his armload.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Hiro. I'm so embarrassed. I, I'm so dirty. I, I - "

"Shower's upstairs," John said, his voice muffled against Aeris' shoulder.

"John," Aeris said with great patience, "you're drooling on my dress."

"Oh? Sorry about that. Whoa. Did I just tell you I loved you and throw myself into your arms?"

"Yes John."

"Oh. Well, it is a beautiful day out, isn't it?"

"Indeed it is, John."

"You're wearing pink, I see. Is this a new dress?"

"It might need dry cleaning after this."

"Poofy sleeves? I didn't know you liked poofy sleeves."

"John? I'm going to pry you loose, okay? Slow, deep, even breaths."

The doors behind her flew open again and a small form cannoned into her legs, nearly knocking them both to their knees."

"Oh, so sorry, Flower Girl," Marlene. "Naki told me get you in a hurry. I ran all the way."

"Nanaki? What does he want?"

"He says come see grandpa. He's sick."

John came to his senses and released Aeris. "Let's go. I want to see the old guy myself. To thank him."

Outside, the sun hit John with all its vengeance. Still in his terry cloth robe, he pulled the fabric over his pale neck and ducked his head before setting off. Aeris and Marlene hurried behind. Keeping to the shadows as much as he could, he raced across the village square and up the several flights of steps, pausing inside the pueblo's cooler interior. Aeris and Marlene caught up. Both looked flushed; Marlene panted and giggled at the same time.

"Having your morning workout, John?" Aeris said.

He grabbed hold of Marlene's free hand and pointed upward. Aeris nodded. They hurried up the interior stairs, winding their way in and out of the pueblo, shinnying up ladders and ducking under strung up laundry, not noticing the view, breathing in the spicy morning air, hearing the chatter of excited children. They arrived at the door of Bugenhagen's observatory where several canyon elders milled about the entrance, talking amidst themselves. Nanaki came out to meet them, his face grave, head hanging low.

"Goodness, what's wrong?" Aeris asked.

"It's Grandfather. I think he's dying."

John felt his exuberance drain away like a burst water balloon. Aeris looked between him and the long faces on the mingling elders.

John looked back at Nanaki, who ushered the three of them inside.

Bugenhagen lay with his head propped on the end of his couch. Elmyra held a drinking straw to his lips. She gave them a sad look as they entered.

"Aeris dear." She enfolded her daughter in her arms. Marlene also joined the hug.

Nanaki padded over to sit watch beside his mentor. "Grandfather."

Bugenhagen stirred, locking eyes with John. "Come here," he said. "I want a look at you."

John obeyed.

"Ho-ho-hoo, I declare, I believe our ritual worked. You have your color back."

John glanced down at his hands, at his pale skin.

"Not that. Your aura. You're blue again."

"Oh." He tried to hide his feelings. His Jenova aura had brought him nothing but trouble in the recent past.

"Don't look so glum. I knew there was good in you when I first saw you."

"He knows that," Aeris said. "But if you tell him, he gets all mushy."

John snorted. "I think I missed the memo that announced 'pick on John' day."

As if on cue, Fluffy materialized from an upper shelf and landed on John's back, claws extended.

"Ow!"

Luckily, the terry cloth kept the claws from his skin, though Fluffy did pull at his robe enough to slide it part way off his back. He clutched at the neckline, reflecting how much he had not missed this brat of a cat.

Marlene said, "No. Bad kitty!"

Fluffy leapt softly to the ground with an apologetic "Merp?"

"You can't be dying, Grandfather," Nanaki moaned. "You can't die."

"Oh, young Nanaki, I have lived a long life, so long I can't even remember how long it's been. I lost count at one hundred thirty-seven years."

"Ha," said John. "You don't look a day over ninety."

"Ho-ho-hoo, you know how to flatter a legless old man. No, I've lived a long life, and though I have my regrets, I know my time has come. While I wish I could live to see the salvation of our Planet - provided, ho-ho-hoo, against all odds, you succeed - "

"Don't talk that way, Grandfather. We need you to guide us!"

"Oh, Nanaki, ho-ho-hoo, you'll find your way. As for me, ah, yes, I feel I too, shall soon find my way. Yes, she comes. I was not able to save her before, though I tried, ah yes, I believe she knows I tried. I did. I really did."

"Who are you talking about, Grandfather? Whom couldn't you save?"

The air in the room seemed to grow lighter. Bugenhagen's eyes fixed on a point in space.

John looked in that direction. He gasped.

"I see now," Bugenhagen said. "I see, I see the Promised Land."

"Grandfather."

"Nanaki. Never give up your faith. Maybe, some day, you'll meet your mate. You have my gift. Use it well."

Nanaki fingered his golden hairpiece with solemn reverence.

John continued to stare at the corner of the room. "Anyone, see, anything?"

"I don't see anyone there," Marlene said.

In the corner, the image of Aeris' birth mother Ifalna took one step forward and held out her hand. Fluffy, probably sensing a new food source, squirted out of Marlene's arms and ran to entwine herself between Ifalna's legs. The apparition smiled, reaching down to scratch behind the kitty's ears. Fluffy yucked it up. She stood on her hind legs, stretching almost onto one leg, just to scrub her head up against Ifalna's knee.

"What is that strange animal doing?" Elmyra asked.

"Aeris?" Bugenhagen's voice had grown weak.

"Yes?"

"I used to work for Shinra, in the tower. You were, four years old, I believe, when I helped your mother escape once and I took care of you. She entrusted you to me. Remember the rides I gave you up and down the air shafts? You laughed and laughed. The only time anyone ever heard you laugh was with me. I even kept Hojo's hands off you by saying I was conducting my own experiments. Ho-ho-hoo! At that time, I could have ruined Hojo. But when he recaptured Ifalna, I had to give you up. But I made a promise. I promised I would be there when she escaped again, and this time, you would go with her. But Hojo became suspicious of me and had me watched. I hatched a plan to bring you both here to Cosmo Canyon but he transferred me out of Midgar. I had made enemies of Scarlet and her awful cousin, Carmine. That meant I could not be there for you when Ifalna finally did make her escape. I'm, so sorry."

Aeris put her hand on his shoulder. "I understand. I'm sure my mother would too."

In her corner, Ifalna nodded.

"We can't be everywhere at once," John said. He looked at Ifalna. "At least, not while we're alive and kicking. Or," he glanced back at Bugenhagen, "or, you know, bobbing about."

Aeris face-palmed. "Are you freaking serious telling a stupid leg joke now of all times?"

Ifalna spoke up. "John. I must warn you. Something huge is coming your way. Please be careful."

"Something huge? What, like a giant stone ball rolling down a tunnel?"

"Who are you talking to?" Elmyra looked puzzled.

"You see her, don't you." Bugenhagen's voice went soft but his eyes grew bright.

Marlene said, "I smell roses. Yum."

"It comes from frying my brains on a Brightstone. Don't try that at home." John shivered as if biting on tinfoil. "Wait. You did try that yourself. Ah. I get it."

"My mother," Aeris said. "She's here, isn't she?"

John turned Aeris toward the corner. "Step one, two, three, there. Hold still; reach out your hand, good. Feel anything?"

"I feel, at peace. And I, I smell the roses. Oh mother!"

Elmyra looked uncomfortable.

"Don't worry," John said to her. "It's a birth mother thing. No one expects you to compete with a ghost, especially a literal ghost."

Bugenhagen spoke again. "Good-bye, my friends, and good luck to all. I am ready now."

"Hey wait. Not yet. I need to know about this rolling ball of stone thing."

Ifalna stepped forward. Her left arm draped around Aeris' shoulders; her other reached out toward Bugenhagen.

Fluffy intervened by bouncing onto the couch and scrubbing her head against Ifalna's free hand.

As good a sign as any, John decided. He leaned forward and released his newly acquired Healing Wind.

Everyone, except for Fluffy, who batted at his head with a stray paw, sighed as the breeze fluttered through the room. The ghostly Ifalna half smiled, giving him a 'Here we go again' look. Bugenhagen winked.

"Ho-ho-hoo! Thank you, John. What a nice way to go." He closed his eyes and lay still.

John's mouth dropped open.

Nanaki looked up at him sadly, then back down. "Good-bye, Grandfather." Then, holding his head as high as he could, he marched out of the room, his golden hairpiece glittering in his mane. Outside the door, the double row of elders bowed their heads at the news. Marlene burst into tears.

"No," said John. He still couldn't shake the feeling that he had become the butt of a cruel joke.

"Aeris?" One of the elders stuck his head in the door. "Call for you, in the office."

She squeezed John's elbow and left the room.

Marlene continued to sob. "Boogieman. Boogieman dead."

John looked down at the still form and felt a sudden anger.

"Hey!" His shout made both of Aeris' mothers jump. "What do you think you're doing! You're not supposed to die on me!"

Marlene stopped crying and gazed at him. Elmyra reached out and pulled her away. (John knew Elmyra didn't trust him.)

"You hear me old man? No dying!" When he reached down, his first impulse to shake the man but stopped. Sitting on the couch, he gently took Bugenhagen's hands in his own. Even with no more stored energy to release, John felt a buzz of power rise within him. "Come back, please? We all need you. The Planet needs you." He knew he sounded corny but at the risk of giving Marlene a 'this is what a lunatic looks like up close' example, he continued. "You're, you're much too young to die."

John felt a hidden power, his power, build. What? Had he absorbed something else along the way? A stray materia nearby? Or maybe Hiro's soup gave him delusions? If so, he wanted another bowl. Either way, the charge inside longed to pour out in a torrent. As long as it didn't hurt Bugenhagen. Wait a minute: the guy had died. What harm could he possibly do? "Screw it." Closing his eyes, he relaxed and allowed the energy to rush out like a waterfall.

High voltage shot through his body. His eyes popped open to find himself bathed in a swirling blue glow, most of which spiraled down onto the limp body below. The room brightened as if someone had lifted the ceiling. John's ears buzzed. Dimly he saw Elmyra draw even further back, though Marlene struggled to free herself. Fluffy crouched under a table, giving him a sour look. As for Ifalna . . .

"I declare. I never thought I would see this in person. I always thought it was a legend." She gave John a smiling wink before fading into nothing.

He barely had time to register his confusion before his power cord yanked loose. He spun backward, smacking supine onto the floor with a clumsy thump. He stared at the ceiling, surprised could still breathe. "Holy. Crap. What. The heck."

Marlene broke free of Elmyra's grip. She wandered over to him, leaning over his face to peer into his eyes.

"You okay?" she said.

John managed a nod. When Marlene's face pulled back, Fluffy slunk out and bit him on the foot.

"Ow. Cat, I swear, ugh." Fatigue. Again. Damn it, he had come back too fast and blown it -

"Aunt Elmyra! He's alive!"

"Well, sort of." His limbs felt like stone.

"Marlene, don't - oh my, oh my." Elmyra jerked upright. "Aeris! Nanaki! Come quick!"

Come on, John thought. Just me doing something stupid. Since when did that make the evening news?

Fluffy bit his toe again.

The door flew open and Aeris rushed in, only to stop short.

"Uh, hi?" John said.

"Oh, my God."

Fluffy's claw hooked into his ankle. John gritted his teeth.

"Bad kitty!" Marlene scooped the infernal beast into her arms. Fluffy let out a squawk of protest before folding herself into the girl's embrace.

"N-nanaki?" Aeris sounded flustered. You, you might want to see this."

Several heads poked through the doorway. Soon a chorus of voices echoed across the canyon. "Nanaki! Nanaki!"

John turned his head to see what they stared at. Marlene looked also, and chirped, "Boogieman better!"

Sure enough, the old man floated above his couch, twirling this way and that, fingering his long beard. "Ho-ho-hoo, yes, I feel as spry as a spring chocobo. Boogieman, indeed."

"Good to, ah, see ya," John said.

"Why you, silly silly boy, look what you've done. We went to all that trouble to put on that pomp and ritual, and here, not three hours after you're healed up, you go and do this. What were you thinking?"

"But, you're alive, sir."

"Oh yes, as an old man, who's already lived longer than his share of years. You may have added some twenty years to my life. Is that worth almost ending yours? Ho-ho-hoo, do you always act on blind instinct?"

"But, I wanted to make you better. Know what? I'm glad I did it. What's more, I'd do it again. I only wish, I only wish I could get up off this floor."

John saw a faint shimmer where Ifalna had stood. He thought he heard her say, "Daft old man," before flickering out.

Aeris reached down for him. She helped him over to the couch where they both sat heavily.

"I don't see what the big deal is," John said. "You can always do the ritual over again."

"We can't repeat the ritual every day, ho-ho-hoo. Each casting saps the Planet that much more."

"I don't believe that for a minute. Any Planet can handle a team of all-night dancers wearing fruit, for crying out loud."

Bugenhagen began to reply when Nanaki bounded in. At first, the beast had to shake his head and blink, perhaps seeing a trick of the light.

"John did it." Marlene said. "He made the blue light and Boogieman got better. Now Boogieman is mad because John made himself sick."

"Hi." John managed a pathetic wave.

"Grandfather."

"Yes, I am still with you, thanks to our impulsive young friend. Now look at him, will you? He can't even lift his chin off his chest."

"He looks a bit pale, I admit." Nanaki embraced John in a full doggie hug.

"Imagine," John said when he could breathe. "People think I'm a danger to the Planet. Right now, I'd have trouble lifting a teaspoon."

"Would you like to lie down?" Aeris asked.

"Yes." An idea flickered through his head. At least his brain hadn't scrambled itself this time around. "If you can keep the sun off me, I'd like to go back to the bonfire." He looked at Bugenhagen. "I'd like to see if Boogieman is serious about denying me that ritual."

Aeris and Elmyra helped him to his feet. Followed by Marlene, they walked him out the door, beginning the trek down the pueblo. On the balcony outside, John looked up to see hundreds, if not thousands, of folk perched on ledges and rooftops, some so far up the sides of the canyon they appeared as colored specks.

Someone shouted, "It's him!" Then the whole crowd erupted in cheers. John stood amazed as the cheering went on for several minutes. The cheers continued as his escort walked him all the way back down to the Cosmic Flame. Marlene lead the parade carrying a smug Fluffy and waving a yellow bandanna. John returned to his bedroll wearing a goofy clown grin, feeling something jab him in the neck as he lay down.

"Pretty necklace," Marlene said.

Whoa. John lifted the jade and copper piece, dimly recalling his escapade in the shower. "When did I put this - oh never mind." He drifted off, dreaming of a stone ball chasing him down the mountain.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter XI**

 **Three For a Convent**  
 _"If we knocked, we wouldn't be sneaking in, would we?" - Yuffie_

 _"_ Tell me again how you talked me into this?" Barret glared at Yuffie under his absurd getup.

Yuffie could barely keep from laughing.

"Tell me again what we are supposed to accomplish?" he said.

This time Yuffie did laugh. "We seek wisdom."

"Why do I have to wear this clown suit?"

"It's a habit, Barret. I'm wearing one too."

"Dressing up in women's clothes is Cloud's habit, not mine."

"We're going into a convent, Barret. They don't let men inside."

"I don't see you with a tablecloth on your head."

"It's called a wimple. Not all nuns wear them but I dare say you would stand out without one."

"And this curtain?"

"Your veil. Since you forgot to shave this morning, you would fail inspection."

Barret grumbled and pulled the cloth tight about his head. "You dressed me in purple?"

"This is Wutai, not Midgar." Yuffie, herself dressed in wine red, twirled around once for his approval. "We Wutai nuns celebrate life, not mourn it."

"We do, now? You're no goddamn nun!"

"Careful Barret. We nuns have to take a vow of no potty talk."

"Dammit - uh, oh hell. Yuffie - I give up. Who are we going in to meet?"

"Mother Noriko of the Falling Leaf."

Barret swore under his breath.

"Come on. You're starting to sweat, big fella."

The two of them walked up the pebbled path, across a pair of sculpted arch bridges. Split leaf maples spread their red pronged leaves, sprinkling the ground with lazy patterns of light. From behind the walls laced in ivy, a bell-like chant echoed into the yard, prompting them to stop and absorb the intertwined melodies. Even Barret seemed moved.

When the chanting paused, the two of them completed their stroll up the path, ending at an old fashioned wooden door with iron hinges. Yuffie stood on tiptoe and tried to peer in the peephole but could see nothing.

"This way." She ignored the wrought iron knocker and pulled Barret's sleeve.

"We're not going to knock?"

"If we knocked, we wouldn't be sneaking in, would we? Careful, don't let those low branches sweep off your wimple."

Yuffie grinned at Barret's rumble. She led him along the outside wall, around a corner to where a stream gurgled out through a gated culvert in the wall. Yuffie squatted beside the stream and peered into the vine-draped darkness. She let her fingers trail in the cool water before speaking.

"Wonder if Mother Noriko knows how loose these bars are."

"Come on, brat. There's no way I could fit through there."

"I don't know. This stream is deeper than it looks. If you got on your back and wedged yourself, I bet you'd slide right through. See this green algae? Slick as grease."

"That's it. I'm leaving."

"Wait! There might be another way."

Barret glared from behind his veil.

"Boost me up."

Barret grabbed her with more roughness than necessary. He heaved her up by the waist, hooked his gunless arm under a foot and shoved her hard up the wall. She clung to the ivy like a wall spider. Up over the wall, minding the spikes on top. She hung and dropped into the yard beyond. Once inside, she crossed the stream on a wooden footbridge. Feeling along the wall, she found the latch to the secret exit door, secret in that one could only open it from the inside. An iron bar clicked into place as the door shut.

Barret jumped when the wall opened beyond the stream.

"Psst! Sister Barret, in here."

Another grumble. Still, he stepped through the door, jumping to keep his habit from catching when the door sprang shut.

"Keep your voice down," Yuffie said. "Mother Noriko hates it when she finds her flock skipping mid-morning prayers."

Yuffie could feel Barret clench his teeth. "Which. Way."

"Gazebo."

Barret plodded behind her. Yuffie pulled out her own wimple and fastened it around her head. She then adopted the head down, demur posture she had seen on nuns who ventured into the city. Stepping into the gazebo, she drew Barret in to sit on the bench beside her. They sat, Yuffie relaxing while watching Barret seethe. Minutes passed. The breeze blew in the scent of plum blossoms. Barret threw back his head, lifted his good arm, started to say something, but ended up shaking his head instead.

"Plum brandy," Yuffie said. "If you think sake is a blast, you ought to try - "

"Goddammit Yuffie!"

Both of them turned at the sound of tongue clucking. A middle aged woman carrying a broom walked into the gazebo and sat on the bench opposite. Unlike Yuffie and Barret, she wore no head covering, just a forest green cloak embossed with a silver pattern on the fringe. Yuffie stared at the patterns, a repeating, knotted double loop. Though they had faded, the pattern still picked up a glint from the sunlight.

"I say, if it's not Miss Yuffie. Coming in to fix our roof?"

"Ah, roof?"

"You wear a carpenter's robe and you have an aptitude for climbing walls. Naturally I assumed Godo sent you in here to fix that nagging leak we have over our inner cloister."

"Does, Godo know about the leak?"

"He may come to know it, should he request a prayer during a rainy day and feel a steady drip, drip, drip between his shoulder blades."

"Do you always pray under the leak?"

"It is an honor to be chosen. We of Purest Waters pride ourselves on our ability to work despite distractions. Endure. In enduring, grow strong."

"So, why do you want your roof fixed?"

"When a distraction become too familiar, it no longer serves its purpose. You will find the tools and tar for patching over in the shed."

Barret gave a muffled, smug grunt.

"Introduce me to your friend, Miss Yuffie?"

Yuffie smirked. "This is Sister Baretta. She, she can't talk because she has a nasty sinus infection."

"Perhaps Sister would like to partake of our famous healing waters?"

"Oh yes. Sister is very fond of healing brews," Yuffie said. "The more vile tasting, the better."

"Excellent. While I fetch the remedy for poor Sister Baretta, ahem, perhaps you, Miss Yuffie, would like to finish sweeping these walkways? The Sisters soon start their afternoon gardening and you know how Mother Noriko adores cleanness."

Before Yuffie could protest, the nun handed her the broom and headed for the stone building. Yuffie stood dazed.

"Get sweeping, Sister Yuffie," Barret said. "Else that nun may give you a paddling with that broom." He added, "Or I will."

"I just realized who that was. That was Sister Juria Maiya. She's on the list. You know, the one with your wife?"

Barret sat up straight.

"She's here? Still?"

"I'm sure of it. Looks like Juria survived Corel somehow."

"You get to work. You do one thing to mess this up or anger the nuns, I'll bust your butt with that broom."

Yuffie muttered, "Like to see you try, big fella," but she attacked the paths with gusto, sweeping away the debris in a storm of pique. As she worked, her movements slowed and her anger ebbed. She found her mind sinking into a sea of calm, her breathing attuned to each sweep. She reflected on past events: Portek's betrayal, the discovery of the hit list, the ugly black towers, and those Takeo fighters flying around. After the fight where she had downed the rogue fighter with her now melted shuriken, they had returned to the city where Barret had taken apart Portek's computer while Yuffie finally tracked down Godo. Father and daughter had a tense chat. Yuffie did concede, however, Godo had become a busy man, busy enough to overlook a traitorous butler he had assigned to his daughter. Then as usual, the chat devolved into a screaming match, something both of them deep down enjoyed. Some families played cards; hers engaged in cage fights.

After long minutes of shared insults and a few thrown punches, they lay exhausted on their mats, where Yuffie asked her father about some of the names on Portek's list. Our Lady of Purest Waters kept popping up like a summer shower. In particular, Godo had a picture of Juria Maiya. She hadn't looked like a terrorist, though neither did Tifa when it came down to it.

Yuffie reached the end of the path where she dusted a pair of planters filled with Wutai snap-traps. A strange plant to find in a convent. She found more planters, a pair of them at the head of each of the four paths that converged on a shaded waterlily pond. Stone benches ringed the pond. She sat on the one facing the great mountain Da-Chao.

"Beautiful day for contemplation."

Yuffie looked up to see Juria, who peered down with a kind look on her face. Yuffie nodded.

"You look troubled."

Yuffie glanced at the gazebo where Barret, having shed his false garments, followed a white and green clad nun into the building.

"Lucky Mother Noriko has a sense of humor," Juria said. "Of course, it never hurts to be a friend of Myrna Wallace."

"Myrna was his wife." Yuffie felt a sudden stab of guilt. It seemed long ago, when Barret had told his story of Myrna's death and the destruction of his home town by Shinra, when she had quipped, "He gets no sympathy from me. He should never have trusted Shinra." She had spent these past months wishing she could take those words back.

Juria sat beside her. The nun took her hand, an un-nunlike action in Yuffie's experience. "Do you know why Shinra hates us so much?"

"Shinra hates everything it can't control."

"You notice how there are almost no churches or temples in Shinra's cities?"

"There was the Temple of the Ancients," Yuffie said, "and the forgotten capital."

"The Cetra had a highly spiritual culture, living symbiotically with the Planet. You will find more ruins of their temples if you look for them."

"Aeris had a church in Midgar. She grew flowers there."

"Rumor has it, a thriving Cetra community once lived in that area, at least before upper Midgar was built."

Yuffie sighed. Some thoughts she had best push from her mind.

"We here at Purest Waters and at other cloisters try to preserve the faith for Wutai and for the whole world. Forget what you've heard about us being brides of the gods. We are our own family. We have our work, yes, and our prayers, yes, but also our joy and our mutual support."

Yuffie said nothing.

"You and Godo have each other; yet you fight. You have both lost something dear and the fights fill the vacuum in your hearts."

Yuffie began to cry silently, her shoulders quivering. "Mother," she said. "I never knew her."

"Kohana. The Flower of Wutai. She came down from the mountains along with her younger sister Umeka to join our order. Their parents met with a tragic end, something Kohana refused to talk about. They had a cousin, too, who left for the north country. The two sisters found a new family in our order, and through us they found inner peace, if not happiness. Then what should happen, but Kohana should meet and fall in love with young Godo Kisaragi, your father. A match made in heaven, as they say. We were happy for them. They were married right in our chapel."

Yuffie looked up. Yes, the gazebo. She had seen a picture of her parents standing in it, her mother decked out in blooms.

"Umeka was almost happier for her sister than Kohana was for herself." Juria looked wistful. "When our dear little Flower of Wutai was killed during the war, Umeka was inconsolable. Your father, he could occupy himself with war and battle. He also had you to raise. But Umeka? She grew cold. She used to sit on these benches at night, staring into space. No one could reach her. She sank deeper into herself until one day when a pair of strangers stopped by. One was Sylvester, a former Shinra officer who had left the army, disillusioned. The other was a Cetra woman named Ifalna."

"Ifalna? As in, Aeris' mother?"

"The Flower Girl, yes, who died at the Ancient Capital, only to rise again. An inspiration for our order, to be sure. Yes, Ifalna. The two of them spirited Umeka away, only days before a group of Turks swung by to look for her. That was, sixteen years ago? The temple received notes from Umeka, including a sad one telling of Ifalna's death. Then two years later, she wrote a hasty note saying she would need to go into hiding and we wouldn't hear from her for a while. That happened right before Wutai surrendered to Shinra. When she did return - "

Yuffie heard an agonized howl from beyond the gardens. She turned to see Barret slumped against a pillar, holding his forehead in his hand. The white robed Noriko stood beside him, a comforting hand on his shoulder. Several nuns working in the gardens turned toward him.

"I didn't know you were allowed to touch strangers," Yuffie said.

"In general. But Avalanche members are hardly strangers to us. You could have simply knocked on the door as guests, you realize."

"And miss all the fun? Aeris thought Barret looked cute in his sailor suit. Wait till she hears about him in a habit."

"I must say, it appears Barret is accepting the remedy after all."

Barret took a goblet from Mother Noriko. He held it a moment before taking a sip. Yuffie saw his eyes pop open wide.

"Spiced plum brandy," Juria said. "Now that, we are forbidden to taste."

Yuffie looked back at her. She appeared to be in deep thought. "Where is my aunt now?" Tension knotted her gut. Juria took her time answering.

"She was in Corel when Shinra destroyed the town but her body was never found. Unlike . . . " Juria bowed her head.

Yuffie waited.

"We at Purest Waters do not take vows of chastity like some orders used to. After all, we have a hard enough time attracting members. Never mind. Still, few here have time for relationships with our schedule. Noriko is married, believe it or not. Her husband is with a temple north of Da-Chao. As for me, I could never juggle my duties here with, well, let's just say, love takes a lot of your time. When I met Genji six years ago and he asked me to marry him, I decided to leave the order. I had already had several crises of faith so Noriko was happy for me. She said it was an honor to marrying us. On our wedding night, I, I tasted some of that plum brandy. Believe me; I know how Barret feels."

Yuffie looked back at where Barret stood. His face had turned even more ruddy and two nuns had to fan him with ivory fans.

"What do you know of his wife?"

Yuffie spoke slowly. "I know she died in Corel when Shinra destroyed the town." She felt another stab of guilt.

"Did he say why Shinra destroyed the town?"

"Wasn't there an explosion at the mako reactor? And Shinra thought it was sabotage?"

"It really was sabotage."

"Oh?"

"Myrna, his wife, was in on the planning. Along with my Genji. As for who came up with the idea? Umeka." Juria shook her head.

"Wow." Yuffie felt her head swim.

"The actual saboteurs were a trio of Ancients who lived on the road, fleeing Shinra.

"Ancients? As in, Cetra?"

"Yes. They were brothers. Jasper maybe and, I think Citrine, and maybe Garnet. Anyway, they hated Shinra with a passion and volunteered - begged - to bomb the place. However, they were not experienced and the bomb went off too early, causing only minor damage. Shinra, though, was ruthless."

Juria paused. Yuffie waited for her to continue.

"Genji was afraid something might go wrong so he sent me away that morning." The nun's composure finally cracked. Juria bowed her head and cried. Yuffie put an arm around her.

"They say," Juria said between sobs, "Genji took down a dozen Shinra. He was a champion swordsman, who once boasted he had dueled the great Sephiroth to a draw, though he usually spoke of that after hitting the plum brandy."

Yuffie looked up at the sky, at the clouds. She didn't know what to say.

"I came back here, where the order welcomed me back. I would be lost without their support. I regret I could not keep my faith during my younger days but Noriko has been especially kind to me. Every week, when we light our candles of remembrance, I light a red one for Genji."

The crash of a gong startled both of them. Yuffie glanced around. Everyone had stopped her task and stared in Noriko's direction.

The gong sounded again.

"Two gongs are an alert," Juria said. "Visitors. Possibly hostile."

"That's quite some doorbell."

A troop of soldiers dressed in the hated Shinra blue trotted into sight. Yuffie huddled on the bench, fastening her wimple about her head. Across the way, Barret looked both lost and furious without his gun. In disgust, he wrapped his head in his garments, if sloppily, though they did conceal his face in time.

A new figure strode into view. He had rumpled red hair, a sparking black nightstick, and a sour, gray expression.

"Reno?" Yuffie whispered. "What in Da-Chao's name is he doing here?"

Juria rose and Yuffie followed. They crossed the gardens where a group of twenty nuns lined up opposite the Shinra troopers.

Reno twirled his nightstick. "We have a simple mission," he said. "We have come to collect a fugitive. She is named Juria Maiya and we believe you are hiding her. Hand her over and we will leave, without trampling as much as a single flower."

Yuffie scanned the surroundings. Where had Reno's sidekick - Rude - decided to hide? Reno never went anywhere without his bald companion. Had he perched somewhere with a sniper rifle?

"Do my eyes deceive me?" Reno said, "Or is this Barret, of Avalanche?"

Barret, who had managed to wrap his wimple around his face as if playing blind man's bluff while holding up a bank, flung down the headgear with a growl. Yuffie bit her cheek to keep from laughing.

"These convents have become more liberal than I remember. Pity you don't have your gun, else you could put up a fight. Defend these weak females? That would stroke your ego. You will come with us too. Call it a two for one deal."

"The hell I will," Barret said. "Where's Baldy?"

Reno snorted. "That information is on a need-to-know basis."

"Come closer. I'll show you I still have a mean left hook."

"Well, that's fortunate as you seem to be missing your right one." Reno ignored Barret's obscene response and turned to Noriko. "Where is the fugitive Miss Maiya?"

"Leave," Noriko said. "I will not have anyone threaten my Sisters or our guests."

"Sisters? How quaint."

With calculated nonchalance, the nuns walked forward. The troops raised their guns. The Sisters stopped, the lines of opposing forces not two meters apart.

Reno sighed. "I tried to be reasonable. Hand over Juria now."

Noriko walked defiantly to him. She folded her arms. "Leave."

"Fair enough." Reno looked up and down the row of nuns. "That one." His Electromag Rod crackled, shooting a bolt of light that snapped into a small nun dressed in reddish lavender robes. She gasped, spinning about and collapsing. She shuddered once before lying still.

"She'll live," Reno assured his audience, "but she will wake with a wicked headache. You will hand over the fugitive, or I shall pick our next lucky winner."

Yuffie missed her shuriken. She felt Juria start to move but Yuffie stopped her with a hand on her elbow. "No. I won't just give you over to these cretins."

"He is hurting my Sisters. I won't let them be killed for - "

"I may be unarmed but I'm not without my tricks." Yuffie activated a red materia on her armlet. "Tidal Wave."

Noriko leapt at Reno but the Xee leader snared her in his Pyramid spell.

"Everyone? Here is your last chance."

"Look out!" Rude, appearing in a doorway, pointing at the rising Leviathan. Reno rolled aside but Yuffie's summoned spirit bowled over his line of troops. The nuns performed a synchronized leap over the wave, coming up with rakes and brooms. As one they fell upon the troops likes ravenous kids at a piñata party.

"Cool!" Yuffie snatched her broom and charged Reno.

"I should have known it would be you."

Yuffie, dodging his Electromag attack, swung around and walloped him with the broom.

"That does it!" Reno fired and missed again. Yuffie heard a yelp behind her.

"What did John call you? Oh yea. Weasel and Beefcake." She swung low with the broom handle, aiming to trip. She wedged the stick between his legs but before she could apply leverage, the body of a Shinra blue flopped across her back. She went down hard.

She heard Reno chuckle. She fingered a Restore materia, punching out a Regen before Reno jammed her in the neck with his electric nightstick.

"Lights out, sweet-cakes."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter XII**

 **Stone House**  
 _"Let's ask if anyone in a torn white dress came by to euthanize some cows." - Cloud_

"Someone was here," Cloud said. "Made a bed here in the grass covered with branches."

Tifa peered around the ruined rock wall, most of its stones scattered in heaps. A solid archway remained intact. "Peaceful here," she said.

Birds chirped in nearby trees. The vegetation grew lush, in contrast to the arid hillsides and parched valley.

"I found Ryanne's herb garden."

Tifa walked around a broken column to find Cloud staring down at rows and rows of different leafy plants, some of which had flowered. A heady scent hung in the air.

"Makes me want to stretch out and relax, maybe read a good book," Tifa said.

"Tempting." He brushed past her, his hand sliding over her bare shoulder.

Tifa felt a thrill, followed by the same old letdown. She shook her head as she watched Cloud saunter away without a second glance. She followed.

Cloud picked loose a strip of white cloth from a bramble bush. Tifa guessed the plant had once formed part of an ornamental hedge.

"Someone pushed through here in a hurry," he said.

Farther on, Tifa saw another swatch of cloth. She tried to slip through the broken opening, but drew back when thorns pierced her arms and legs.

"Ow. Let's go around." She extracted herself, prying the clinging branches away with care. "I will give my full respects to the next hedge trimmer I meet."

Cloud reached for his sword, but Tifa stopped him. "Better not. This is a sacred place."

Together they circled the hedge, which seemed to thrive on the rocky hill soil, forming a dense triangular colony that proved bigger than it had looked. After a rough, stumbling, knee scraping, shin gouging climb, they looked down onto the gray green mat surrounding and a broken stone structure, possibly a chimney. Over a jagged portion of this hovered Vincent's red-caped form.

"Smart aleck," Tifa said.

Vincent looked up at them, then drifted forward. He held a thin metal instrument in his good hand and Tifa spotted ear buds in his ears.

"Opening, under the brambles," Vincent said, "but Ryanne is correct. It is blocked by a cave-in. However," He raised his metal wand and traced part way up the mountain. "A tunnel, now collapsed. A plausible escape route at one time."

Cloud frowned, gazing into the distance. he turned as Vincent drifted up to them.

"We have a problem, Vincent. Do you have your spyglass? Look off in that direction."

Vincent drew out his metal binoculars and peered. He remained still for several minutes. Tifa grew impatient and scuffed her boot against the dirt. Finally, he lowered the glass and said, "She's feeding again."

Cloud slumped. Clutching his face in both hands, he sat down on the hillside and shuddered. Tifa knelt close and laid an arm across his shoulder.

He said, "Just when I thought - "

"Cloud." Tifa pitched her voice low. "We don't know what made her start to feed again. She probably just got hungry or something."

"This is all a sick joke. How could she came back? Just to taunt me?"

"When I saw her at the junction, she looked like she wanted to say something. Did she recognize us? She didn't look like a runaway killing machine. Perhaps we can still reach her."

"Might I remind you," Vincent spoke up, "we have no proof she has killed anyone. Assuming she needs to act like a psychic vampire to survive, perhaps she can hone the power to make it less virulent."

"We have to stop her," Cloud said. "One way or another." He stood up. "But I don't want to hurt her. If we kill her, I couldn't live with myself."

"If there is a way," Tifa said, "I promise we'll find it. I bet Nanaki or Aeris will have an idea."

Vincent folded away his equipment. "The collapse of the tunnel occurred well after the house burned. It is possible some or all the occupants escaped, though I also suspect some did die here. This place has the feel of death around it."

"Death amidst life," Tifa said. "Ironic isn't it?"

"I am reminded of Aeris' description of the burial mounds at Pebble Creek," Vincent said. "Flowers blooming in the frozen north."

"Or Aeris' church in Midgar," Cloud said.

Tifa shuddered.

Cloud stood up with purpose. "Let's catch up with her. We can reason with her or not. In either case, we need to find her before Shinra does."

"If Carmine captures her, Shinra will exploit her as a weapon," Vincent said. "I'll prepare the chocobo carriage."

"Good." Cloud pulled out his PHS phone. "I'll check in with Nanaki."

Cloud had no luck getting a connection. While the PHS used a satellite system, something here blocked the signal. Tifa guessed mineral deposits. She idly wondered where the disused tunnel led. A hidden valley behind the mountain?

Cloud gave up and trotted after Vincent. Tifa followed.

Back at the carriage, Vincent said, "One of you should drive. I need to work on my weapon. I want to rig something to take Raine out without harming her."

"Take the reins, Teef," Cloud said. "I'll keep trying the PHS."

She nodded and they set off.

They encountered light traffic as their carriage breezed down the road. Cloud still had no luck with the PHS.

"We should try to breed some chocobos," he said. "I've heard the finer purebred birds can clock speeds as high as 160 kph."

"Can they pull a carriage that fast?"

"I doubt it. Not very far at least."

Their chocobo trotted at a fast enough clip. Tifa couldn't complain.

"That way. The road branches. We want to head towards the flats." Cloud consulted a map. "A town called Fulsom's Crossing."

"Is that a dead cow up there?" Tifa said. "No, it's three of them. And creatures feeding on them."

"Looks like she came by," Cloud said.

"So much for not killing anything."

Vincent said, "The effect simply left them helpless to predators."

"Look, a way-station. Shall I stop?"

"Let's ask if anyone in a torn white dress came by to euthanize some cows." Cloud sounded on edge. Aeris would predict a breakdown.

The station consisted of a house, a general store with a pair of fuel pumps, a garage, and a fruit stand. All stood unattended.

Vincent stayed in the carriage while Cloud and Tifa dismounted. They found the lot deserted but the store unlocked. Cloud shouted a hello inside. No answer. Tifa got the same from the garage, a half dismantled automobile as the only occupant.

"I'll try the house," Cloud said.

Tifa peeked in the lean-to beside the garage. No one. Ditto at the fruit stand. Behind it stood a fenced pen containing several fruit trees. She turned away when a voice called out.

"Take anything you want. Just leave us be."

Tifa looked back. She pulled herself over the wooden fence.

"Just take it all. It's only my life. Dirty Shinra bastards will take the rest."

The man sat leaning against a cherry tree, a black hound passed out in his lap.

"Demons," he said. "Day devils, wrapped in mist."

Tifa dropped to the ground and hurried to his side. He smiled.

"An angel? Gonna carry me to that damn Promised Land?"

"What happened here?" Tifa asked.

"My angel. I couldn't ask for more. The mist devil took my truck so you'll have to take my soul instead. Not that it's much of one as souls go. That what you're here for, angel dear? My, but you're a cutie."

"This devil took your truck?"

"Reunion, she said. I say, go kill those Shinra bastards. Ain't no decent business here after that mess in Corel. Everyone turned to sheep, yes they did." He spat. "The she-devil took my truck. Look at what she done to my Mootsie." He patted the sleeping dog's head. "Old gal never hurt a thing."

Tifa powered up a pair of Cure spells, one for the man and one for the dog. Mootsie snuffled and yelped in response.

"You really are an angel." The man sat up higher, appearing more lucid. Mootsie whined, licked his face, and lay back to sleep. Still, the sleep appeared more restful.

"This devil. Did you see which way she went?"

"She said, reunion and desert. Only two words she spoke."

Desert. Towards the Gold Saucer then. Tifa had a sinking thought. Reunion. Hojo, imprisoned in that desert. Raine had headed toward Hojo. So, that lunatic caused this after all.

"Thank you," Tifa said. "I have a couple of potions for you. Rest up. From what I've heard, the effects wear off in a day or two."

"Much obliged, my angel."

Tifa swung back over the fence and met Cloud.

"We have trouble," she said. "Raine was here and she stole a truck. I think she is heading toward Hojo. The guy back there mentioned two words, reunion and desert."

Cloud flinched at the mention of "reunion," likely recalling his meeting with Hojo and Sephiroth at the North Crater. He cupped his hand to his forehead, gazing off into the dry heat. The desert lay out there, surrounding the garish, over the top Gold Saucer. Tifa could just see the top of the elevated theme park from here. With Raine's head start, she might reach Hojo in a few hours.

"Let's mosey," he said.

* * *

John did not sleep as much as drift. The world phased in and out, visitors dropping by to lay flowers or bow their heads, or ask tear-filled entreaties. One young girl snipped a piece of his blanket as a souvenir. Hiro offered to move him into a bed but he had refused. Later, he found someone had strung velvet ropes around his tent. A carnival barker announced all comers could pay twenty gil to view an authentic Jenova. John felt a twinge of empathy for that first Jenova, two thousand years ago. Had she snapped and decided to wipe out the gawkers with her diabolic virus?

Even so, he possessed something she did not: a sense of humor. John, a performer by trade (when he could stand unassisted) chuckled at drawing as great a crowd as a half-ton pig at a county fair.

He moved his hand and found the soft form of Fluffy curled in the crook of his elbow. Though expecting claws or teeth, he stroked between her ears. The white doughnut began to purr.

At least now he knew why no one had tried to yank out a lock of his hair.

"Hi."

John rolled his head like a rusted toggle switch. His vision drew into focus, showing him - he frowned.

"Hi. I'm Larry; this is my brother Darryl and this is my other brother Darryl."

John let his vision drift back out of focus.

"We came when we heard you had performed the miracle on the old man Bugenhagen."

"I guess, he can call himself, born again."

"Darryl thought at first, Bugenhagen hadn't been dead, that you had revived him with mouth-to-mouth."

The blond man puckered his lips.

"Darryl, on the other hand, explained how the Planet's energy channeled itself through you, allowing you to donate some or, as it now appears, most of your life essence to revive the old man."

The third man nodded once.

"So, given your current pallor and given the old man spinning around like Darryl's hound in heat, I'm inclined to believe Darryl."

John grunted and looked away.

"Come on Darryl, we've tired him out. Let's open up your special stash of pear juice. But keep it away from the flame. Ed's Pa is still picking bricks out of his pear trees."

The three of them filed out of the tent. John breathed deep and allowed his eyes to close.

"Pleasant enough fellows."

John opened his eyes to see Aeris smiling down at him.

"Who hates me today?" he asked.

"You do have a problem with your self-esteem."

"I've been thinking. One day I found my sister dead in her upstairs bedroom, dead eyes staring up at those horrid peach curtains. My mother - if you can call her that - sat downstairs on her couch, necking with her newest boyfriend. And after all this time." He paused, swallowed. "After all this time, I find out I can raise the dead. Ironic, isn't it? Pathetic, more like."

"John, if they selected world leaders on the basis of self pity, you would rule for centuries."

John did not argue the point.

"Nanaki and the elders are working on a permanent cure to your problem. In the meantime, I brought you something to help you sleep." Aeris lifted an iron goblet, large enough to require the use of both of her hands.

"Wow. You found the holy grail. What is your favorite color?"

"Can you sit up?"

John tried. "I can barely raise my head."

She set down the goblet and lifted him up, propping pillows behind him. Once seated, he rolled his eyes and slumped forward. Aeris clucked her tongue, put an arm around his middle and hauled him back. She lifted the goblet to his lips.

John frowned at the green liquid. "Let me guess. Courage?"

"Yes."

"Cool." He grabbed the cup. With her help he drained all of the fruity yet pungent liquid. Afterward Aeris lay him back down, pulled up his blanket, and brushed his forehead with a kiss. He smiled.

"Now sleep tight," she said. "I have to say, it felt great telling Tifa that Bugenhagen was alive again. Then Cloud demanded that we perform that ritual again. He seemed stressed. Poor guy."

"Wow. And to think when I first met Cloud, he wanted to cleave me with his sword."

"You're not still stuck on that, are you? Oh. He and Tifa are on the trail of Cloud's mother, who seems to be heading toward Hojo for a reunion."

"Sounds like you started a trend. Coming back from the dead, that is." John's head began to buzz. Relaxed, very relaxed, he began to melt into his blankets. He fought the urge to begin every sentence with "dude."

"I didn't come back from the dead, technically. At least, I don't remember dying, except - " She looked down and laid her hands over her abdomen.

"Except that little bit about Sephiroth's sword sticking out of your stomach?"

"I get, ghost flashes. Nanaki calls it an 'alternate reality slippage.'"

"Babe, drink some of that green moose juice and you too can live your life in chaos theory."

"Did you just call me babe?"

"Chaos theory. That's, that's what the fuzzy dude was trying to describe. He makes it, too complicated. If you just hang out with me, babe, your life goes, hey, into chaos. See? Wow. That, whoa, dude. Potent, whacked out, moose juice."

Aeris looked concerned; John felt merely curious. He didn't remember her having so many twins.

"The elders said it will knock you out. It is an ancient recipe."

"Pun in-intended? C-Cetra joy juice? Babe, you oughta try some."

Aeris shrugged. "Possibly."

"Anything, to keep me, from raising the dead."

"Correct. Repeating the ritual will give you a surge of energy, which you will find tempted to release. Bugenhagen's theory, at least."

"But, it would be, one long, long, groovy party. Heh, heh. Night of the living dead. Ha. Get it? Night of the - "

"Shh."

The Aeris images briefly coalesced before subdividing again. She talked on but he lost the ability to concentrate.

"Aeris?"

"Yes?"

"You are, the best looking zombie, I've ever, you know, seen." He squinted, head lolling, willing her images to merge. He gave up. "And I love you."

She snapped into focus. This time, he saw a ghostly double next to her. Her mother, Ifalna.

"I see, dead people . . ."

John's mind collapsed in a silver haze.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter XIII**

 **Rapture on the Mountaintop**  
 _"You? You're alive? Or, whatever you call it?" - John Philip Sorea_

He first sensed weightlessness. Then cold, though not unpleasant: wind whipped at his body as if he had transformed into a loose curtain. When his vision cleared, he found himself floating, gazing down at the cracked desert around the canyon. Cosmo city itself clung to the crags like a red lichen, crawling up cliffs and seeping into the canyon's tributaries. John wheeled and darted through the air. When he tried to look at his body, accepting for the moment his new gift of flight, he found his form wispy. Translucent. Wow. Quite the potent go-juice Aeris had given him. He once had some old friends who would "groove" a sip of that. As, he suspected, would Larry and the Darryls.

He looked down again to find he had lost altitude. Though the town still looked a blur, he spotted the _Highwind_ parked in its berth; it swarmed with workers who scrambled like ants on a candy bar. He drifted again. Heading south, he skimmed above the cracks and crags until the land dropped away on three sides, leaving red peaks amidst tangles of brush. The higher slopes nearby grew with scraggly conifers mixed with a patchwork of meadows. Glancing to his right, looking across a gulf he spotted a dark green hump of forest perched on a rocky plateau. He wondered about that little hill but distracted himself with the ground rushing up to meet him.

To his surprise, he touched down in a soft, three point landing, his left hand thrusting forward to parry the oncoming mountain. Good thing he couldn't sprain his ethereal wrist.

He stood up. He felt sandy soil beneath his bare feet, smelled pine needles and wood smoke, felt a cool breeze and warm sun on his bare arms. He drew his bathrobe around him, though his translucent form hadn't burned from the rays. Not that he ever felt a sunburn until too late, but the few minutes he had already spent skydiving should have turned him redder than a tomato.

"My hallucination," he said aloud. "I'm still back in that tent. Or dead. Either way, I might as well enjoy it." He lifted his hand against the sunlight. Eerie how the light filtered through it.

He walked to a pebbled path. Rounded pebbles like river rocks covered it, not jagged shards that sought the tender arches of his feet. The path led gently up a conical hill. "Great day for a hike. I'm game."

The hillside curved to the left as his trail meandered upward. John walked with a dreamy bounce in his step. One misstep might send him blundering into the valley and he did not trust his erstwhile ability to fly. His thoughts drifted. Though his body felt no pain, his mind swam in a flu fever dream. However, each time he caught a glimpse of the strange green hill across the way, he felt his spirit center itself, his body drop back to earth. So his walk became a jerky moon-waddle, his mind leaving orbit if he watched the path and plummeting back after he fixed his eyes on his distant talisman. He stumbled over rocks and the odd log, only to bounce up again as if the the mountain had a hidden layer of rubber.

The path leveled near the top but curved away from his green talisman so far that he had to walk backwards to stay in contact with the ground. Predictably, he stepped in a chuck hole and sprawled across the grass in a spidery heap.

Picking sharp gravel out of his cheeks - so much for river rocks - he pulled himself to his knees. He glanced toward his distant touchstone only to find it obscured behind a thorny bush. Feeling himself leave the ground, he cried out and scrabbled for purchase. Gravity realized its oversight, slamming him back to ground on his stomach. He lay panting, watching a beetle creep by before his eyes. He felt himself drool.

"Pathetic," a tense voice, possibly his, said.

John lifted his head but saw only the glare of sunlight. With a breath he tried again. He pulled himself to a crawl, held onto a loose root, rose to a crouch and crept up the slope, not daring to move more than one limb at a time. He glanced over his shoulder and spotted his mysterious green hill. Finally. He stared at it for half a minute, ordering his world to stop spinning.

"Look what the cat dragged in."

Not his voice. A woman. He clambered back onto the path and looked up again, squinting against the sun.

"Holy hell!"

His shock nearly flung him off the mountain. A quick grab for a vine stopped his free fall, though with another face-plant into the dirt. He lay still, berating himself for forgetting the basics of walking.

"Oh cripes."

He shook his head, holding onto his pink root. Pink? Sure. Why not. Gravity became spongy again. He knew he could flap his arms and fly. But he would land on ragged rocks somewhere below.

"I'm not falling for it," John said, trying not to laugh at his bad joke. Hand over hand, he resumed his holy quest. The summit.

He found a smoldering campfire, though not for lack of wood. Plenty of it sat in a rick here, ready to burn if the mountaintop wind ever let it truly light.

Around the campfire stood four wooden poles. Above, two beams crisscrossed at right angles, and from these dangled dozens of slender twines. From these twines hung, somehow, a body. John let his gaze center itself, his mouth hanging open. The body of a woman in rags swung gently in the breeze. John guessed her age at thirty-five; her wavy black hair draped over her upraised shoulders but her hair could not hide the metal skewers attaching her to the twines. Bloody pins gleamed from her back, sides, and stretched arms.

John stared, speechless. His eyes drifted downward. As if suspending her by metal spits had not gone far enough, her captors had driven skewers had through her buttocks and legs, from which hung heavy weights like cow skulls. John grabbed one of the support poles and forced himself to look at the woman's face. Damn, he had seen her before. He had followed a younger version of her in that shower vision. How many years had passed for her since then? Her face looked way too serene given the exquisite pain she must have endured before she died.

John shook his head and dropped his gaze to the ground. "Ghastly."

"So, you, are my savior?"

"What?" His looked back up. "You're, alive? Seriously?"

Granted, he had seen her open eyes but, hell. She freaking looked dead.

"The Planet, won't let me die. It wants to punish me for my failures."

"Whoa." He kept his eyes riveted to hers. All the better not to look a the rest of her. "The Planet did this? Have I found someone with a bigger guilt complex than my own?" John wished he had more with him than a bathrobe. A knife, for instance, to cut those nasty cords. Even just cut down those weights. Who had done this to her?

The wind picked up. The scaffold creaked. Her body drifted, evincing a grimace of pain from both of them.

"It sent you to torment me. Very well. Spin me."

"What?"

"Go on. Don't draw it out. Grab my legs and give me a good spin. Get it over with."

"Whatever for?"

"To watch me suffer! That is why you came here, right?"

"No. Why would you think - "

"Don't go weak on me. Do what you have to do."

"You, want me to torture you?"

"Don't sweat it. The pain relieves the boredom."

John, flummoxed, glanced around, anywhere but at the woman.

"What else is there?" she asked. "What do I have left but the pain?"

John shrugged. "The view is spectacular. The weather is pleasant too."

She paused. "I see. You do, psychic torture. Tell me how all my friends, my family, have all died. Spare no details."

"Look. I'm, I'm not here to cause pain. I'll, try to find, something to cut those ropes."

"You mustn't. The Planet wills me to suffer."

"Garbage."

"Why am I here? Why haven't I died?"

"Are you sure you haven't?"

"I failed."

John looked back at her. "You do have a point there. Given, you know."

"You're a Jenova, aren't you? That's it. The Planet sent me the ultimate enemy, to taunt, to tease."

"Did a Jenova do this to you?"

She gave a harsh chuckle. "Shinra and their obsessions. Guess again."

"Sephiroth?"

"Nope, he's dead as a door knocker. I hope."

"I've never met a live door knocker." John pointed at the green hump, now floating emerald green in the sunlight. "What is that place?"

"The Ancient Forest."

"Ah. Do Ancients live there?"

"Don't be absurd. Nothing lives there but giant frogs and bugs."

Somehow John had expected more.

"I'm the only Ancient on these hills now," the woman said.

"You are a Cetra, then."

"What's left of them. You should know. You are that albino boy I saw in those bloody woods."

John shrugged. "All I did was try to take a shower."

"Yet you still wear the symbol of the six sacred directions."

"Huh?"

His hands went to his neck where he felt the chain. From beneath his robe, he lifted the green and silver medallion. Holding it up, he watched it turn in the breeze. "Six directions, huh?"

"Think about it."

John thought it odd to discuss mysticism given her condition, but she did admit to boredom. He looked at his amulet, saw the silver X atop its center post, the design over the jade. Yes, it did point in six directions, including the post. Beyond that, it meant little - wait. He looked up at the wooden crossbeams. From his angle, they also formed an X. Insight came to him.

"A matter of perspective," he said. "North, east, south, west. Up and down. Three dimensions."

"Very good," she said. "The four winds, Planet, and Spirit." She paused. "That amulet was mine once. I guess you came to mock my faith. Don't bother. Just spin me and leave."

"What is your name?" John released the amulet and walked around the scaffold, shifting his anchoring grasp from one pillar to another.

The woman stayed silent until he completed his circuit. "Zinnia," she finally said.

"Pretty name. And a pretty flower."

"Come one. Out with the insults."

"Where I come from, 'pretty name' is considered a compliment. Now, tell me a way I can release you from this hellish setup."

"False hope. The cruelest torture of all."

"I guess I have to puzzle this one out too." He cast about for something to cut the strands of twine. A pair of sharp rocks maybe.

"You truly wish to help me?"

"Yes." Ah. A roundish stone broken in half, both halves sported ragged edges. He moved closer.

"Would you be willing to take my place up here?"

"Not a chance. I'll help you, but nothing stupid like that." John braced his feet under a chunk of firewood, careful not to touch an ember. He lifted the nearest cow's skull and balanced it on his knee. Zinnia moaned as her body shifted.

"Sorry about that." John noticed his own body now felt perfectly solid, his balance sure. Had coming so close to Zinnia done it? He lifted his pair of rocks, wrapped the slack cord around one of them, and used the other to abrade the twine.

"Would you be willing to put your mind in my body, so I could put my mind in your body?"

"Give me a break." He scrabbled away at the stubborn cord. "Not that you don't have a great body - it's just, in poor condition." Scrub, scrub, scrub. "Tell me, who do this to you?"

"Carmine."

"Never heard of her. Why did she do this?"

"I offered myself to her."

John stopped rubbing. "You what?"

"To save the village."

"Ah." He resumed his work. "So she strung you up here and then burned your village anyway. I'd never have seen that one coming."

"I failed my people." Her voice grew snippy.

"Was your village in the Ancient Forest?"

"No, stupid. It was right over that hillside. Notice any smoke?"

John threw down his rocks. "What is this string made of, iron?"

"Silly Jenova boy. You can't cut through - "

"I can't cut through what isn't here."

"What?"

"I'll bet your people escaped. Most of them, anyway." John unwound his other rock and discarded it. Gently, he lay the cow skull on top of the wood pile where its cords would remain slack. He shuffled around to do the same to three other weights with long enough cords. Zinnia sighed with the slight relief.

Still, she said, "You lie. You plan to pull out a child's skull and wave it in my face."

"Dear, all I have on me is a bathrobe. The worst thing I could do is flash you. Which I've already done, if you recall."

"How can you say my people survived?"

"You must have bought them enough time. If your people had died here, this hill would be covered with flowers, not rocks. I've seen that elsewhere." Shudder. "More to the point, their ghosts would swarm me along with yours, all pissed off because a Jenova, a Crisis from the Sky or some such, dared to walk among them. The only ghost I see here is you." He stared into Zinnia's eyes. "Well, me too, but I'm pretty sure my body is lying drugged out in a tent down in Cosmo Canyon. That, is why, the sun doesn't burn my skin. As for you, I bet you died years ago. A long, miserable death, yes, but no reason to hang around up there. And no, I'm not going to spin you around so you can feel more pain. If you wanted to, you could hop down and join your companions in the Promised Land or any number of places more pleasant than this. Am I right or am I right?"

Zinnia started at him. Finally, she said, "Cosmo Canyon? It's still there?"

"Sure. Assuming I'm in my present and not in my future or past."

"But the Gi. Carmine showed them a way through the caves so they would lay waste and kill everyone. I had gone on ahead to warn the canyon."

"Relax. Bugenhagen told me about the attack. Nanaki's father Seto held them off, though he died in the attempt."

"Seto. An honorable warrior. I met him once." Zinnia bowed her head.

"Nanaki didn't know about his father until Bugenhagen showed him. He thought his father had run away like a coward."

"Are you a coward, Jenova?"

"I'm John Philip Sorea. And, no. Though I have more faults than an earthquake zone, I don't believe cowardice is among them."

"Then I ask," Zinnia shuddered, making the dangling cords tremble, "that you help me. The only way I know how."

"Ask away." John pretended to look nonchalant.

"Would you be willing, to share your body with me? As in, two minds in one?" Zinnia trembled again.

"Do you have any idea what you would be getting into?" He looked at the cruel spikes thrust through her body. "Though you do appear short on options. Very well. How do we go about this?"

Zinnia's face fell. "I, was hoping, you would know how to do it. Jenova."

"Me? But how could I - " John looked down and saw a white Persian cat scrubbing against his leg. "What? How did you get here?"

"Meow?" Fluffy said.

"Who is that?" Zinnia asked.

"This? This is a demon who came to torment you."

Fluffy grinned, stretching to sharpen her claws on a scaffold pole.

John stood, feeling helpless. Inspiration hadn't come. He faced Zinnia, keeping his eye contact. Oh, back in the days, when he could solve all of life's problems by playing a ukulele.

His foot bumped something. He looked down.

"No way." He frowned at the tiny guitar. Polished and gleaming, it stood propped against one of the poles. "No way."

"Meow?" said Fluffy, returning to her scratching.

Realization threatened to eat through John's skull. He reached for Zinnia, fingertips trembling as they came into contact with her skin. Gently he curled his hand around her ankle. Her foot felt cold. When he looked up, her whole body had gone rigid, her skin faded from brown to gray, her face contorted in final agony. Body burnt by the sun and scorched from the ineffective fire below, her skin stretched tight and shiny where the skewers had pulled at her flesh, where rivulets of blood had dried to black down her body. He clamped his eyes shut in disgust.

"Meow?" Fluffy looked up at him with a 'you dumb-ass' look.

"I blew it again." He made his way to the ukulele but found it gone. He kicked the pole instead.

"Ow!"

"Meow." Fluffy stuck a consoling claw into his bare calf. John hobbled a few steps and sat down hard, chin in his cupped hands. "Just a dumb old Jenova. That's me." He focused his eyes on the distant green hemisphere, the Ancient Forest. He stared, as if pure force of will would send him to the Promised Land.

* * *

When next he opened his eyes he saw sunlight fighting its way through the upper flaps of his tent. He lay limp, feeling as if someone had nailed his chest to the ground. Outside, the midday bustle of Cosmo Canyon filtered through. The barking of dogs, the clanking of pots, the chuckling of Hiro as he carried another drunk out of his tavern. Slowly, painfully, John turned his head. A wet nose mashed into his cheek before the white ball of fluff slid from his field of vision. John almost sneezed. Then he spotted the ukulele propped against the center tent pole. It gleamed as if from an inner light.

Too weak to reach for it or even move his hand, John began to mouth the words, even if no sound came out. "Ukulele Lady, born in forest shady, won't you come and play with me? Ukulele Lady, gentle as a baby, don't you run away from me."

"Looks like I might be _your_ savior." The voice, not entirely inside his head, snapped his attention to a form of pink mist that hovered over him, stretching tendrils of fingers to caress his forehead.

"You? You're alive? Or, whatever you call it?"

"Remember your promise?"

"I was afraid I had killed you."

Zinnia's shade chuckled. "I couldn't merge with you up there, silly. Your body is here."

"Ah, yes. You now how it is with bodies. Never around when you need one."

Zinnia leaned in closer as if to receive a kiss. John relaxed. Not that he could move if he wanted to. He tried to blank his mind but ended up thinking of Aeris, her mixture of sadness and wonder when the two of them had first glimpsed the Forgotten Capital.

"I'm not sure how to do this," Zinnia said.

"That makes two of us."

"I only know, if I don't do something, I might dissipate."

"Don't do that. Try to hold your form while I think."

The scented warmth of her color began to fill him like a mug of spiced cider.

The tent flap opened and Marlene stepped in. "Oh, there you are, silly kitty. I brought John a present - " She froze, eyes and mouth wide. The last thing John heard while wholly himself was her high pitched scream.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter XIV**

 **Wutai Take-out**  
 _"How can we call ourselves the Wutai underground if we don't go underground?" - Yuffie_

"You know, brat? Every time I save your life I live to regret it. It doesn't take long either. Here it is, not half an hour after I retrieved your nearly lifeless corpse from Reno's grasp, and you're making me walk through an endless maze of sewers."

Don't have a cow, Barret," Yuffie said. "The nuns can't eat beef."

"Not true," said Juria, treading behind. "We simply prefer a traditional diet of fish and rice."

"Fish and rice. Such a choice, your Wutai food," Barret said.

"With a variety of tasty sauces."

"What I would give for a juicy steak right about now."

"We're going to eat just as soon as we're done," Yuffie said.

"Does the restaurant have a dress code? As in, no one who just crawled out of the sewer?"

"Relax, big fella. It's only a storm sewer. Wutai has separate pipes for - "

"It's still got rats."

"What do you think they serve in the restaurant?"

Barret whirled and glared.

"Do you want your hand back or not?"

Yuffie held the wrought iron weapon Noriko had presented to her. Oritsuru, sacred temple weapon of Da-Chao. Shinra had once stolen it, along with Godo's personal weapon, the Conformer. Sadly for the thief, he had tried to hide inside Da-Chao's cave, where legend had it Da-Chao's fiery breath turned the thief to ash. Or, Yuffie thought, the fool fell into a crevice and broke his neck. Still, the weapon survived. As Noriko possessed one of the world's two sets of Leviathan Scales, she had managed to brave Da-Chao's fiery wrath and retrieve the weapon. Whatever the story, Yuffie's various materia, Comet, ChocoMog, Leviathan, Transform, and others, glittered in the weapon's sockets.

Noriko had not recovered Godo's Conformer. Yuffie hated the thought of that beautiful piece nailed to the wall in some Shinra stuffed suit's office.

"How do we know that Portek freak is down here?" Barret said.

"He isn't. He's in his safe house with Simon. We take them out and pow, Shinra takes a hit."

"If Reno is lying, I'll shove his Electromag Rod up his - "

"Careful, big fella. Don't give the nuns the wrong idea."

"I gotta say, Mother Noriko is handy with the quarterstaff. Reno will be singing soprano for a week."

"Like I always say," Juria said. "It's not that we don't allow men in our convent. Most men simply prefer to keep their anatomy intact."

Barret said, "Rude surrendered in a hurry. Dropped his gun like it bit him."

"Rude must have some training in the Art. Pity he doesn't use it."

They came to an intersection where Yuffie studied the markings on the wall. "This way." A stone arch bridge led them across the main stream and soon they marched up a dry side passage.

"You sure you know where we're going?" Barret asked.

"Sure. Old Pine Inn."

"We could have walked on the street."

"How can we call ourselves the Wutai underground if we don't go underground?"

"Just get us there, okay?"

On and on they trudged. Barret's mood grew worse and even Yuffie's enthusiasm began to dampen. As for Juria, who could say. She always seemed deep in thought.

Yuffie stopped to examine some more markings. She peered at her map, flicking her hand torch on high for a better view. She folded the map away and turned to Barret.

"I'm afraid I got turned around back there. We're on the wrong side of Wutai."

"What!"

"Just kidding." She smacked him across the back. "We use this ladder right here."

Barret scowled.

"Endure," Juria said. "In enduring, grow strong."

With a grunt, Barret hauled himself up the ladder. The others followed. Barret reached a narrow landing; The ladder continued up to a metal manhole cover in the ceiling; halfway up a black square opened off into a crawl space.

"Which way?" Barret asked.

"The crawlway will lead directly under the inn," Yuffie said.

"I don't like the sound of this." Still, he led the way, sliding his bulky body like a full load of laundry through the square chute.

The shunt slanted upward. Barret swore colorfully and often but he forged on. At a T-intersection he stopped and looked back.

"Right," Yuffie said.

A minute later, Yuffie heard a metallic click and the sound of running water. She braced her arms and legs against the sides of the chute and hoisted her body into the air. Glancing behind, she saw Juria do the same. A hatch above opened to belch a fishy liquid onto Barret's back.

"Arrrgh!"

Yuffie pressed herself against the ceiling as the swill sluiced beneath her.

"I hate fish!" Barret sputtered.

Blood and fish guts swam by beneath her.

"They aren't allowed to dump waste like this," Yuffie said.

"Oh yeah? Well I'm about to give them a goddamn health inspection!"

Barret pointed his gun arm into the low ceiling. Bracing himself as best he could with fish slime sliding off his legs, he jammed his arm upward until the flap broke. With a roar, he burst into the room above.

"Everybody freeze!"

Yuffie heard muffled screams. Metal pans crashed to the floor. Impatient to join the fray, she chafed as Barret's feet blocked the fishy crawl way

"Juria," she said. "Brace yourself as high as you can. I'm going to sluice this."

Another crash, a howl. The rattle of Barret's gun.

"Can you stop him from killing everybody?" Juria said.

"Barret? He's a big Teddy Bear. He only blows up mako reactors."

Yuffie concentrated, hardly daring to breathe. A red materia in her Oritsuru glowed with a pinprick of light. Up ahead, the miniature blue form of Leviathan filled the tunnel before dissolving in a bubbling surge of water. Yuffie moaned with relief after the fish parts washed down out of sight. After the tide receded she collapsed to the damp chute, rubbing her sore muscles.

"Not an orthodox use for summoning magic," Juria said, "but thanks. I did not look forward to crawling through that slop."

"I have this weapon set to do mini-summons by default. Just in case someone like my worthless butler steals it."

"I didn't know you could do that."

"I got the idea while meditating in the dojo. If I could stand post for half an hour until my arms scream loud enough to fall out of their sockets, I could tell my materia to shoot out a tiny burst."

"The river in winter," Juria said. "One of the early lessons we learn in temple. Are you sure you would not like to join our family?"

"Right now I have to stop the big lunk from shooting up the kitchen."

Emerging into the kitchen, Yuffie found the staff lined up against the far wall, some clutching dripping utensils. Upended pans and clumps of rice decorated the tiled floor.

"This here's a health inspection!" The group cringed as Barret yelled. "What is the proper way to dispose of fish!"

"Fish?" A cook with a white muffin cap and a plaid apron turned toward him. "Serve it raw to Shinra Peace Patrol."

Several of the help tittered.

When Yuffie and Juria appeared, the cook's eyes widened.

"Miss Yuffie." He bowed. "How honored I am to be in your presence. Are you here to chain this wild beast who flew out of the drain and shot up my kitchen?"

Yuffie noticed the pockmarks in the ceiling. Contrary to rumor, Wutai built solid buildings; Shinra would shred anything with paper for walls.

"Is that soup for the Shinra creeps?"

The muffin man nodded.

"It could use some rocks."

"Oh yes, Miss Yuffie. Stone soup it is." He nodded at Barret. "May we get back to work now or will this grizzly bear try to maul us?"

Yuffie turned to Barret. "Lower your weapon, big fella. And get that fish head out of your collar. It's against the dress code."

Barret pulled it out and flung it into the soup pot.

The kitchen door burst open, admitting a Shinra sergeant in a magenta suit. "What is all the noise in here? You have a meal to serve - " He gaped when he saw the trio. "A nun? You have a nun in the kitchen?" He gaped even more when someone brained him with a bun spatula.

"Throw his boots in the soup!" This cook enjoyed his job too much. Yuffie made a note never to eat at the Old Pine Inn.

Barret reached down and snagged the officer's gun. "Time to throw out the trash."

"We may need to leave through the disposal," Yuffie said.

"No way in hell."

"Perhaps a disguise?" Juria said. Yuffie noticed Juria took care not to stand close to Barret.

The cook held out a pair of white aprons. "Would you care to serve our guest of honor, Miss Yuffie?"

She draped the apron over herself and donned a white cap. Barret struggled into his apron.

"No need to disguise the nun," the cook said. "But do brush the sticky rice off your habit."

The door flew open again. Two blue Shinra drones rushed in, guns leveled.

"You are late!" One yelled. "You must learn the value of time. Time is gil! Gil is service to company! Honor. Duty. Service!" He suddenly found it hard to shout from inside an upturned stock pot.

The other drone drew down on the cook, earning him a smack in the ear from a trash tamper.

"More boots for the soup," the cook ordered.

"Has the world gone crazy?" Yuffie asked.

"It's you," Juria said. "People believe in you and they will fight for you."

"In other words, yes," Barret said. "The world has gone stark raving mad."

The chef handed a large tureen to Yuffie. "Shinra wants soup served? Serve the captain first." He poured a ladle of soup into an elongated bowl. "Now for the secret spice." He pulled off a guard's sock and dropped it in with a flair, stirring it under the thick cream. "Chef's Sunday surprise. Go." He bowed. Yuffie stepped toward the door, fishy Barret in pursuit.

In the dining hall, rows of wooden tables with long benches swarmed with uniformed soldiers. One of them rose and goose-stepped toward the kitchen. Yuffie raised the soup bowl to shield her face, hoping she still hid the Oritsuru beneath the tray. At the far end of the room - Yuffie had to force herself not to fling the tureen at him - Simon the Sir Groper sat, his smug face grinning so hard it hurt her teeth to look. The seats on either side of him sat empty. She quickened her pace.

Looking back, she spotted Juria and a train of staff carrying more bowls. As Yuffie passed, the standing trooper playfully stuck out a foot. She just as playfully slammed a knee into his groin.

She set the whole tureen in front of Simon, liquid sloshing over the side. "Have a taste of old Wutai."

Hearing her voice, Simon jerked up his head. Yuffie smiled.

"You," he said.

"Yep. Where's that pathetic excuse for a butler? Where's my materia he stole?"

"You. If you disrupt my meeting with Carmine, I'll - "

"Is she your girlfriend? You mean to tell me you can reproduce?"

Simon rose.

Solders as a unit reached for their guns. The kitchen staff melted out of sight, Juria with them. Yuffie hefted her shuriken and activated Leviathan.

The far wall of the room burst open as the huge water snake reared its head. The Shinra minions fired on it, the only move they knew. The wall of water swept the drones from their tables like chips from a roulette table. Barret hugged a pine beam with his good arm, holding his gun arm out of the water. By the time the wave reached Yuffie and Simon it had spent its wrath, though it still managed to dump the soup bowl into Simon's lap.

A few troops rallied and raised their weapons. Barret thrust his arm around the pillar and fired. While Shinra regulars wore enough body armor to make Barret's wimpy bullets an annoyance, the barrage still made them keep their heads down lest he catch them in the neck or so. Behind Barret the kitchen doors reopened, staff charging out armed with heavy utensils. Like a storm they fell on the minions. Yuffie kicked weapons away from their groaning owners and soon they had a pile of guns in the middle of the room.

A few stray troops tried to dart from the room. One aimed a shot at Juria. Yuffie flattened him with a Bolt spell. As she turned, Simon slipped out the to the foyer.

"Oh, no you don't." She lunged, catching his elbow.

"Let go, you slut."

"I'm actually a virgin." She smacked the flat of her Oritsuru across his back. "Not that I'd even let you near my cats."

"You're starting to piss me off," he said.

"Only starting?" She kneed his stomach. "That's for the punches at Ichiro's bar." Stomping his foot, she kneed him again. "That's for spoiling their flower domino game."

He grabbed at her but she tore free, giving him a roundhouse kick to send him flailing to the floor. He sprang up; she ducked under his swing but he caught her loose arm. Together they barreled through the feng shui decor like loose lawnmower blades.

Yuffie, whose weapon had bounced free in the corner, ducked as Simon swung a beheaded lamp stand. Her head spun. Tifa did the close in, dirty fighting. Still, she rolled and came up fast, knocked Simon's legs loose, landing knee first on his chest. He croaked out a whoosh of air.

"Where's my traitorous butler, you worthless piece of - "

"Ah, Miss Yuffie, as petulant as ever." The suave voice of Portek came from a doorway, where he leaned, leveling what looked like a bloated shotgun at her. His smile faded. Perhaps from the smell of wet fish as Barret entered the room.

Portek turned to speak to someone behind him. "Dear lady, it appears your protégé has secured the base for the terrorists."

A regal blonde woman, dressed in a gray business suit, walked in flanked by two personal trainers. The dark-haired hunk stood proud and shirtless, showing off surgically implanted pectorals. The sandy blond one just sulked.

Portek grinned. He stroked his shotgun, still trying to appear snooty beside his leading lady, though his dignity suffered from Barret's mechanical hand still clinging to his elbow.

"Carmine," said Juria's low voice.

The woman smiled. "Well, well. A ninja, a terrorist, and a nun walk into a bar. Tell me, who has the punch line?"

Yuffie yanked the still sputtering Simon to his feet. He slumped. She jammed a knee into his back until he straightened.

"You think that will stop Portek from blowing your head off?" Carmine said. "The world is as full of bumbling idiots as it is of brats. We have a thousand Simons within the ranks of Shinra. Now, Hamm and Stu here, they do anything I ask. Don't you?"

"Grr," said her trained hunks.

"Can you say the same about that spiky haired leader of yours? By the way, I have a score to settle with him. It threw my neck out of joint to get Stu's arm reattached."

The sulky hunk winced.

"You fought Cloud?" Yuffie said. "And he let you live?"

"I left him and his skanky bar wench eating dirt. I wanted to attend to that tramp personally but what can you do when business calls?"

Yuffie felt her heart lurch. "What did you do to Tifa?"

Carmine flicked out a pair of gleaming wrist blades. "A little, shall I say, nip and tuck. So. Are you going to surrender or shall I let my pets have their way with you?"

Carmine's boy toys - what had she called them? Pork and Beans? - fanned out, faking apathy as they edged at Yuffie from both sides. In the corner of her eye she saw Juria slink along the wall like a flicker of firelight. Yuffie yanked Simon back, cursing her lack of a weapon. It still lay in the corner, the sharpened tire-iron meters out of reach.

Portek racked the slide on his gun. A blue glowing orb appeared at the end; Yuffie didn't need a gun nut like Vincent to tell her he had no ordinary shotgun.

"Duck!" Yuffie shoved Simon forward and dived to the wall, barely in time to avoid the shards of ice exploding into the room. Frozen daggers tore into her back. Barret swore up a storm behind her. Pork and Beans changed their yells from derision to shock. Yuffie poked her head up to see an untouched Juria standing in the middle of the room, twirling her staff like Aeris on go-juice. Portek and both of Carmine's boys lay moaning on the floor.

"The secret to avoid strife," Juria said, "walk proudly; walk elsewhere." She stepped onto a stone tea table.

"Wha - ?" Yuffie said.

The blond hunk, Beans - no wait, Stu - recovered first. He kicked a chair aside, pushed to his feet and draw his sword. His mako eyes blazed icy blue.

"Say you prayers, pretty one." His gruff voice did not fit his buff exterior. "Your next words will be your last."

The nun raised her staff. "Waiting like winter." Stu charged, his sword blow detaching a chandelier in his leaping windup.

Juria now stood on the _opposite_ tea table. "Moving, a splash of water."

"Splash this!" Stu turned and charged again.

"Striking like thunder." Her staff whistled as she spun in an arc, catching Stu in a hammer blow that sent him reeling to the floor. His sword clattered into a corner.

"I hate it when they damage the merchandise." Carmine reached for Stu's prone form.

Yuffie snatched up her shuriken. "Tidal wave!"

"Why does everyone get that wrong?" Carmine sighed in disgust. "It's called a tsunami, not - oh, bugger." She flung Stu backwards onto Simon, snagged a clueless Portek and slipped through the doorway ahead of the blue wave. Hamm, her upright flunky, staggered after her.

"Ha!" Yuffie wanted to dance with her victory.

With a scream from the dining room, a dozen blue suits stormed through the foyer, followed by a pan wielding cook.

"I said stay out of my kitchen! Did you think you could steal my secret sauce?"

The minions scurried toward the door. A pair of them picked up a cursing Stu while another pair hefted Simon.

"No! You put that trash down."

They ignored Yuffie, slamming the door after them.

"Grrr!" Yuffie looked for something to smash.

"Chill," Barret said, detaching himself from a pillar. Yuffie noticed a benefit to her repeated Leviathan summons: most of the fish parts had washed out of Barret's clothing. "Either prepare for the next assault or get the hell out of here."

Hammering sounds came from outside. Shouts came from the dining hall.

"Wait. Are they boarding up the shutters?"

"Everyone? Back to the dining room. Regroup," Barret ordered.

Yuffie gave the outside door a final kick and obeyed.

With the tables now demolished, the dining room looked barren. Only two Shinra blues remained, one of them braving a gauntlet of waiters to dive out the last open window.

"I don't like this," Barret said. "Something stinks."

"It's the fish." Yuffie held her nose.

The last window shutter slammed shut. The final Shinra blue stumbled to it and pushed at it; it gave at first but snapped back. Hammering rang from outside.

"Sorry, commander's orders," said a voice. "No one gets out."

"It's me! Ernie!"

"Sorry, I'm afraid today is not your lucky day."

Barret stepped forward. "Step aside. I'll blow that sorry-ass window shade across the street."

Ernie actually obeyed.

Barret leveled his gun. The staccato barrage punched holes in the shutter and window frame but the wood, reinforced with what looked like railroad ties, held fast.

"Your Dad designed these buildings well," Barret said.

"We held off Shinra for three years," Yuffie said.

Shinra Ernie tried to bash his way through another window. He received chunks of sunlight and retreating footsteps for his efforts.

"I need to find a lever. Yuffie, make sure Ernie here doesn't try anything funny.

Yuffie glanced around, seeing a dozen or so kitchen staff. "To the kitchen. Now."

"Yes, Miss Yuffie."

Ernie found a stray table leg to began to pry at the crossbeam. The leg split down the middle but he did clear enough of an opening to thrust his head through. Just in time for the entire far wall to erupt in green flame.

"What the hell?" Barret said.

Ernie, now a human torch, did manage to pull free but when he turned, Yuffie screamed at the sight of flesh melting off his face. Two more steps and he collapsed with a final death wail. Barret blasted the body hard enough to bounce him to the window wall. The flames soared, engulfing the wall from floor to ceiling.

"Holy screaming mother of - "

"Corrupted invert mako," Juria said. "Da-Chao help us."

"What the hell is invert mako?"

"Never mind now, Barret," Yuffie said. "You and Juria get everybody out through the sewers. The same way we came in.'

Juria moved without question.

"What will you do?" Barret asked.

Yuffie raised her shuriken. "Fight fire with fire?"

"Brat, you have many faults but cowardice is not one of them."

Yuffie felt herself go warm at the backhand compliment. In a different setting, minus the searing flames, the choking fumes, the ghastly deaths, she might have thanked him - but Barret and already turned to leave.

Yuffie licked her lips and ran her fingers over her set of materia. The smoke curdled her nose worse than fumes from burning plastic. With watering eyes she made the logical choice, a mastered Ice materia.

Ice crystals the size of minivans crashed together amidst the firestorm. Yuffie cherished the cool, fresher air in their wake. The green fire died back but the flames around Ernie's corpse flared back up, again reaching for the ceiling. Yuffie frowned. Her ice chunks remained intact, barely melting. This, invert mako fire, it didn't burn very hot. Though it did set off normal fires. She stomped a few of those from the carpet.

"Never knock old faithful," she said, pulling out Leviathan for the third time this evening.

Out went the normal fires but the green flames leapt on top of the water like demented mermaids.

"Yikes!" Yuffie threw herself sideways to avoid the pincers of flames. A tapestry melted to her left. Earth materia? Didn't have one. Bolt? Nah. Wait. How about a Cure spell.

She backed into the kitchen door.

"Da-Chao, don't fail me now. Clear!" She poured her heart into her spell, the materia glowing like a torch. Pure green of mountain grass or Aeris' eyes. The image of Aeris made her smile, until with a jolt she feared she had triggered her Comet by mistake. She snapped open her eyes to find the room blackened and reeking like a septic tank but no longer any fire.

"Wow." She stumbled against the door frame before reclaiming her balance. "Just, wow. I did it. Like those zombie Gi things in Cosmo Canyon way back when."

She saw ordinary fires burning outside the barred windows, and smoke continued to pour in. Sirens sounded in the distance but they had to leave now. She stumbled through the kitchen door. Those flames. Alive? Maybe undead?

"Yuffie? Are you all right?"

Juria stood just beyond the door.

"Thanks. I'm just, a bit weak."

Next thing she knew, she slumped against the nun, who pulled her through the kitchen to an oblong hole cut in the floor by a drunk pastry chef.

"Did I, black out?" Yuffie said.

"No shame in that," Juria said. "Do you think Barret has a future as a sculptor?"

"His art will make it tough to cover our tracks."

"No problem." The nun produced a small purple sphere. A pair of buttons adorned a flat area on top. "I can pull down the roof behind us."

"A bomb? Since when do nuns use bombs?"

"Ours is an unorthodox temple."

"I'll say." Yuffie took a few steps. "Wait. Don't do it. Shinra will blame the Wutai Underground. Make them explain the boarded windows."

"Okay. I can work with that. Can you walk?"

"I think so."

"We need to clear the building. No shame in leaning on me."

"Bomb throwing nuns. I've seen it all." What other tricks had Juria picked up from Genji?

They met down below, in the sewer tunnel, huddling until Yuffie felt steady enough to walk unassisted. Barret cast a Regen on her.

"Thanks, big fella. Those green flames. They suck the life from you."

"So healing magic knocked them out?"

"Yea, but definitely avoid water. I've never felt drained like that."

"Damn, kid. Any ideas? On where we go now?"

Yuffie rested against the cement wall. She couldn't lead them back to Godo's home now. The convent didn't work either. She looked at the line of patient staff. How many cooks did the Sisters need, anyway? She didn't plan on moving in with the rats down here, nor could call Cid to airlift them out. She turned to Juria.

"You wish to hide?" the nun asked.

"Any place but a sewer."

Juria's lips creased into a smile. "All of us?"

Yuffie considered. "You know, most of these folks can return to their families. It's not as if Shinra can tell us apart. They should be safe."

"Then they should. But we will remain in touch with them." She glanced at Yuffie and curled a grin, "I believe a big day is coming. We want to be ready for it."

"What is your plan then?" Barret said. "I hope it's better than the brat's. I spend all day sliding on my belly through a sewer and I don't even get my damned hand back."

"Perhaps Miss Yuffie would offer you hers?"

Barret snorted. "Till death do us part would be shorter than you think!"

Yuffie found herself choking on saliva.

"Don't worry, Miss Yuffie, Juria said. "I'm sure your father would approve - "

"Grossness!"

Juria tittered. "Ancient temple joke. Now, if you'll follow me, I have an idea where we might hide. After you fix our roof, that is."

Yuffie continued to cough.

"Yuffie dear, do you believe in legends?"


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter XV**

 **Reunion Interrupted**  
 _"This being Yuffie, she also managed to burn down a city block." - Cloud_

"I've had about all I can take of this."

Tifa, bone tired, had not showered in three days of plodding through endless desert. They had indeed met that worthless Hojo, who not only refused to talk but also refused to let go of his ankles while he hopped in circles. On second thought, he did talk, if "Squirrel boy give squirrel girl a bog wet squirrel kiss?" counted as talking. And he had flicked out his forked, green tongue far enough to lick his own elbow. From this sprang Tifa's Rule: never date a man with removable eyeballs.

With all that, Raine had pulled farther ahead, even after pausing to drill through Fulsom's Crossing like a lance through butter. Unlike creatures in the wild, the livestock in those rows of barns had succumbed in an avalanche of death, a million animal lives snuffed out as if Raine had thrown a plastic tarp over the barns and turned on the gas. Shinra would probably release a cover story, maybe how a power failure cut off the cooling system. Pictures of earth movers burying mountains of dead pigs might turn everyone in Midgar into instant vegetarians.

She doubted if she could look at a pork roast again.

Leaving Hojo to his frog hopping delirium, they had found Raine's stolen truck, out of fuel. Buggy tracks struck out across the desert following an old cart track, giving them the most bone grinding, knee bruising ride Tifa had ever endured. She felt as if her kidneys had tried to bounce out the back of her head. What a hoot; Raine had never intended to meet Hojo after all. Sad she missed out on that green tongue though.

"Finally. The end of the desert," Cloud said.

"Wark wark!" Their chocobo rocketed off for the line of green. Tifa grabbed the railing and barely kept from bouncing over. Cloud strained to slow the giant chicken, the carriage jolting behind it like loose cans under a "Just Married" sign. The wheels careered off a pair of boulders, forcing Cloud to lean his body hard to starboard to keep them from flipping. As they neared the greensward, the chocobo bolted even faster. A few pitches and lunges later, they blundered onto the grass where Cloud, having long since given up slowing the creature, drew his sword and cut the harness.

"Wark wark!" The chocobo shot free like a rocket bird, the tangle of reins jerking Cloud's sword from his hand.

Cloud braked the chariot with a growl, insulting the chocobo's ancestry. Tifa cast a Cure spell on him, if only to stop him from dreaming up new chicken recipes. Said chocobo plowed into a pool from a nearby stream and embarked on a five minute happy chicken dance.

"Vincent. You say you have a plan to stop my mother?" Cloud spoke to swallow his chocobo rancor.

"I did," Vincent said. "I was adding an attachment to my gun when that wild ride broke it off. Once I find my materia, hopefully still in the bottom of the carriage, I will assist you in barbecuing that chicken."

"Can you eat that big of a drumstick? Never mind. My mother is too far ahead of us now. That time we wasted with Hojo - "

"No matter. She appears to be in remission. Again."

"And she could flare back up. She must have sated herself at Fulsom's crossing. Good lord. At least we can try to cut her off at the Gongaga ferry."

"Assuming we can convince your favorite chocobo to behave," Tifa said, finally willing to release her grip on the railing.

"Wark?"

The chocobo thrust its wet head into the carriage. Cloud looked up in time for it to shake off the water like a wet dog.

"I swear I'll kill that - "

"Wark?"

Vincent handed Tifa a spare set of reins. "You need to drive. Cloud has a sword to find."

Tifa hopped out to harness the ornery bird, though she couldn't stay mad at the cute beast for long.

"Easy. Easy old girl - "

"Wark!"

"Old boy? Sorry. Did that mean old Cloud scare you with that big sword of his? What were we thinking, driving you across the desert like that?"

"Wark."

"You must be tired. I know I am. When we get to the Gongaga Ferry, I promise we'll put in for the night. For now, though," She cast a Cure and Revive spell on the bird. It fluffed up its feathers in pride.

"Are you done conspiring against me?" Cloud hopped back into the carriage and leaned on the front railing, chin on clasped hands.

"Wark?"

"Yes, Cloud," Tifa said. "What do you mean, conspiring?"

Cloud started to reply when his PHS chirped.

"Yes. Really? No, no luck. Again? That's odd. What? You're kidding! No, there must be a mistake. What? No. Tell Yuffie not to tangle with - no, we're - I agree. Are you sure? Great. We're on it."

By this time, Tifa had climbed into the driver's seat. She picked up the reins.

"What was all that about?"

"Marlene is not cut out to be a receptionist."

Tifa cocked her head. "You rather she tend bar?"

"I'd rather she become a sumo wrestler. Anything. Somehow she got the idea Yuffie asked Barret to marry her."

Tifa yelped and dropped the reins.

"And then," Cloud said, "the little twerp asked when you and I were going to get married."

"Oh?" Tifa cocked her head. "What did you say?"

"And now," Cloud hurried on, "We find out Carmine is in Wutai. Yuffie and Barret managed to fight her off with the help of angry cooks. This being Yuffie, she also managed to burn down a city block. All on the same day she managed to convince Barret to dress up as a nun."

"Now that," Vincent said, "I would like to see."

"In Cosmo Canyon, our miracle worker John has wandered off. Vanished. And no, they did not have time to redo the ritual. Seems the elders would not increase the miracle budget. Anyway, Aeris must know where he is, because she has vanished too."

"Oh dear," Tifa said.

"Ordinarily I wouldn't worry. Except Marlene, our unimpeachable source, said she saw a pink ghost sucking out John's brain the night before he disappeared."

"Pink ghost?"

"I hope," Vincent said, "this pink ghost knew what it was getting into."

"So now, we need to hurry to the ferry station, where we can change chocobos."

"Wark?" said the chocobo innocently.

"And then, double time to Cosmo Canyon."

"In that case, give me a few minutes. I need to dunk myself in that stream."

Later, feeling partly alive again, Tifa flicked the reins. The chocobo strutted off in an oh-so-innocent trot.

They rode in silence for a while until Cloud said, "Teef, you say Raine spoke of a reunion back at the way-station. We thought the reunion was with Hojo but she ended up ignoring Hojo."

"Could mean she has taste," Tifa said.

"Hojo has experimented on himself, not to mention many others, injecting cells from the original Jenova. The reunion, as you recall, consisted of all of Jenova's parts trying to reassemble into a whole. But all of Hojo's Jenova subjects were damaged. Most of them failed to reach the reunion point."

"And Sephiroth killed a lot of those who did."

"In fact," Cloud said, "only the body of Jenova - carried by Sephiroth - along with Hojo, myself, and Vincent, met in the North Crater. The actual reunion, or joining, did not occur. Except - " Cloud gained a far-off look in his eyes.

"You aren't obsessing about your number again, are you?"

Vincent spoke up. "Lucrecia. The mother of Sephiroth. She did not show, and she was even more heavily infused than Cloud or I."

"Something must have stopped her. Assuming she's alive."

"I don't believe she is dead. Jenova, you may recall, are remarkably hard to kill."

"Raine didn't show up either," Tifa said. "When did Hojo animate her? Did he do it earlier and keep her dormant? He couldn't have done anything after the North Crater. His mind was too fried by then."

Vincent checked his notes. "Cait Sith told me they found Hojo's laboratory near Costa del Sol, so he must have kept her dormant there. Her activity, near as they can tell, began the same time as the events in the Ancient Capital. The return visit, with John and Aeris."

"Reunion." Tifa snapped up her finger. "Not with Hojo or the original Jenova, but - "

"With our Jenova, John Philip Sorea? Do you suppose the boy knows about this?"

Cloud snorted.

"Do we let them meet?" Tifa asked. "What might happen?"

If we value our lives, Teef, we will be on another continent when they do. But she is my mother, at least partly, and I don't want that crazy kid to hurt her."

"John won't hurt her."

"Teef, that kid could set a building on fire trying to light a birthday cake. He is a loose mako cannon."

"He told me he met your mother's spirit back in Nibelheim. Maybe that's why she is seeking him out."

"Then I want to get to him before she does. I know we'll regret it if we don't."

"I agree."

"I have noticed," Vincent said, "Raine is at her most virulent when John is sick. After the ritual at Cosmo Canyon completed, she became placid."

"Then the kid blows his mind resurrecting Bugenhagen and my mother goes on a pig-leeching rampage."

"So that's why you demanded Bugenhagen re-run the ritual?"

"You know me, Teef. Save the pigs."

"What do you make of the pink ghost?"

"Give me a break. John versus a pink ghost? The kid drank it like a strawberry milkshake."

"On that note we had best hurry, for your mother's sake."

"He must be cured again. You said they didn't run another ritual?"

"No. He disappeared. According to Marlene. But also according to Marlene, we need to think about wedding gifts."

"I wish," she mumbled, but yanked her feelings inside.

Cloud stared into the distance. Vincent rattled around in the back of the carriage, still chasing pieces of his beloved gun. She couldn't help wondering if John had struck out to meet Raine somewhere in the jungle where no one would find them.

"Just keep that crazy bird from killing us."

Tifa shuddered as she realized how much the thick bladed stream grass resembled Hojo's tongue.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter XVI**

 **Double, Double**  
 _"None of your Jenova mind hanky-panky for me, if you please." - Rufus Shinra_

Late the following evening, a freshly showered and very relaxed Tifa sat down at an oak table with Vincent, Cloud, and Nanaki. Cloud, she noticed, had managed to re-spike his hair, a welcome change from the wind blown, wet cat look he had acquired on the trip. Though they had washed off in streams along the way, when they arrived she had leapt from the carriage and marched into Hiro's inn chanting "Shower. Shower. Shower."

Nanaki took in the description of their run-in with Carmine near Lee's Camp. He seemed riveted by the report of the so-called invert mako.

"Ordinary mako," Nanaki said, "is harmless. Beneficial, in fact. You can't get mako poisoning from pure mako. It's like getting water poisoning from swimming in pure water. You can drown in water, sure. You can even overdose on it if you foolishly drink too much. But drinking pure water, within reason of course, is much like being exposed to pure mako. Harmless.

"Distilled water is also tasteless," Tifa said.

"True. Pure mako, the Lifestream of the Planet, is inactive. The impurities impart the flavor, if you will, much like impurities give the mineral corundum the deep red of rubies or the deep blue of sapphires. Likewise, materia," He tapped his exquisite tribal hairpiece, "derives its properties from trace impurities, either acquired in nature or deliberately added in mako reactors."

"I follow so far. What then is invert mako?"

"An unstable and destructive form. It is the agent that causes mako poisoning. Largely a byproduct of electrical generation inside a reactor, this waste product actually is the primary threat to the Planet's Lifestream, though mako depletion is a long term problem."

Cloud said, "So this evil mako, it's turning the Lifestream into what, a death stream?"

"It is simplistic to think of invert mako as evil. It merely exists. Natural processes also produce it in low quantities. It is destructive; the reactor explosion in Gongaga is thought to have occurred because the local mako deposits were tainted with too much invert mako. Likewise, reactor construction in Wutai was halted when the deposits there were found to be similarly contaminated."

"But, now Shinra has found a way to purify invert mako."

Tifa said, "And, surprise, surprise, they've made it into a weapon."

Nanaki pondered a moment. "According to Yuffie, Carmine tried to use invert mako against her group. Yuffie also described a mysterious base north of Da-Chao. Could it, perchance, be a factory for invert mako? Large scale production?"

"Looks like we need to take a trip to Wutai," Cloud said. "After we deal with my mother running amok." He sighed. "Where is John?"

"No one has seen him or Aeris for two days. A local sports shop caught them on video buying out the place. Climbing equipment mainly, though John bought a Mist materia, a spell so useless even Yuffie won't buy it."

"He does seem to walk around in a fog."

"He also seemed interested in women's clothes, if the arguments he had out loud with himself were any indication."

Cloud blushed. Tifa needled him in the ribs.

"He talked Aeris into a new climbing dress, and I quote, "something a bit darker, so you don't clash with the canyon walls. Sleeveless, cut low on the back, scoop neck, no ruffles, but a slight trim of lace along the hem.'"

"Well, that's more than you usually wear, Teef."

Tifa ignored him. "So they plan to do some climbing. That narrows it down to, what? Ninety percent of the local terrain?"

"If he uses the Mist materia," Vincent said. "It should be simple to spot him."

Cloud said, "I don't want to know what scheme that kid has cooked up. Still, we need to retrieve Aeris before heading to Wutai. You say Cid is nearly finished repairing the _Highwind?_ "

Nanaki nodded.

"We could use it to search if need be. For now, I would like a watch placed at the far boundaries of Cosmo Canyon. I want to know as soon as the creature who is assuming the form of my mother appears."

"If Raine is attracted to John," Tifa said, "then it is good he is out of town. Less chance of innocents getting hurt."

"Fascinating," Nanaki said. "A mini-reunion. Looks like Hojo will miss this one."

"He's plenty busy catching flies with his forked tongue."

"Ho-ho-hoo!" Bugenhagen floated in, looking more perky than Tifa had ever seen him. Whatever vitamins he took clearly worked.

"I spotted them," Bugenhagen said. "All three of them. Hiking up Backridge peak, across the gulf from the Ancient Forest."

"Did you say, three of them?" Tifa said.

"Yes, ho-ho-hoo, Aeris, John, and Marlene. They make a cute party."

"Marlene is with them?"

"Elmyra told me Marlene said she was going to have a picnic with Aeris. Elmyra worried why it was taking so long so she had me use the scope to spot them. She will be relieved I've found her."

Cloud said, "Ah, yea. Worried. Okay. So John came back to town and took off with Marlene as well? Barret will blow a gasket. In fact, if the kid gets Aeris hurt, I'll thrash him myself."

"Relax," Tifa said. "Aeris has faced tougher dangers in her life than a picnic."

"We're talking John here."

"Cloud," Nanaki said. "Vincent and I will patrol the south canyon for any sign of your mother. Meanwhile, Grandfather will watch their progress from his observatory. By tomorrow, Cid will have the _Highwind_ able to fly so he can airlift you to their party, should they need help. Is this acceptable?"

Cloud, though he looked reluctant, nodded. Tifa grabbed his hand.

"I know," she said. "I worry about her too. But Aeris is tougher than she looks."

"Ho-ho-hoo, I haven't had this much energy in decades. Why don't we all go up to my observatory and watch their progress ourselves? Maybe we can take a look at the stars for variety. There's a new nebula I've discovered and I'm dying to show you. Except I'm not dying. Get it?"

"Come on Cloud," Tifa giving Bugenhagen a look. "As Aeris would say, why not have a little fun?"

Cloud shrugged. "May as well. After all, I can always beg for Barret's forgiveness if John gets his daughter killed."

* * *

"How sweet it is," John said, "not to fall asleep six times between the kitchen and the bathroom."

"We're outside," Marlene said.

"I climbed this trail already as a zombie. I assure you, I'd nearly forgotten what it is like to stay awake for a full five minutes."

"I agree," said another voice from inside him. "How sweet it is to have working arms and legs without spikes in them."

"Spikes?" Aeris said.

"That was Zinnia again," Marlene said. "She told me all about spikes."

"Yes." John stopped at Aeris' puzzled look. He absently reached out and scratched Fluffy's head, glad the Persian lying sacked out in Marlene's arms did not feel compelled to rip his hand off. On days like this, what could possibly go wrong? "Yes. Marlene happened by when Zinnia was trying to, uh, merge with me. Her spirit and my body were pawing each other like first time lovers and she almost ended up trapped in Marlene's body."

"No almost about it," his inner Zinnia said. "For several seconds I did merge with the girl. But that told me I was trying too hard. Merging requires persuasion, not force."

"So it was you who persuaded me to get this new dress," Aeris said.

"Yea. You didn't think John had any fashion sense, did you?"

"How did you, merge?" Aeris looked uncomfortable.

"We weren't compatible," John said, "at least until I gave up on the idea of a peach wedding."

Zinnia broke in smoothly. "We were both afraid it would not work, but I sensed time running out."

"I mean, we hadn't even seen a counselor. But then Fluffy distracted me by biting me on the thigh."

"I left the girl Marlene and merged with John, though I believe Marlene has some of my memories, as I have some of hers."

Marlene nodded. "Bad Shinra. Kill them all."

John said, "That sounds like Barret. Anyway, Zinnia's essence has filled the void. I felt as if I were, rising from the dead."

"So did I," Zinnia said, "probably because I was rising from the dead."

John caught Aeris staring into his face, her green eyes trying to follow his back and forth with himself.

"Zinnia is an Ancient, Aunt Aeris," Marlene said.

"And now, I am inhabiting the body of our ancient enemy. How does that grab you for irony?"

John chuckled. "That whole metal skewer thing puts life in perspective, you know? So we skipped the usual 'eew, you're a Cetra; eew, you're a Jenova' part."

Aeris continued to stare. "Two people, in one? So, that's how you recovered so fast."

"I still have not realized my goal," John said. "I have yet to meet a living, breathing full Cetra. Not that you aren't a great person, Aeris, half-Cetra though you may be - "

"Still trying to prove I'm not the last of my kind?"

"That's it, yes. Your mother, a full Cetra, whom I have met several times now I might add, is sadly, not alive. And Zinnia - "

"Died on the mountaintop," Marlene said, looking sad.

"In a most unpleasant manner."

Zinnia put in, "My soul, my spirit, had other plans."

"Which meant dwelling on the past, reliving your death over and over again," John said.

"It does grow tiresome. And since it took me a full three days to die, I had a lot of material to cover."

"Did it hurt bad?" Marlene asked.

"So bad I stopped noticing it."

"Her spirit survived by pure pigheadedness," John said.

"You confuse me," Aeris said. "I don't know who is talking to me."

"It confuses us, too."

"What is that place over there?" Marlene said.

"Zinnia says it's the Ancient Forest, full of frogs and bugs. She gets cranky if you suggest it is full of Ancients."

"Can we go there? I like frogs."

"One wildcat scheme at a time," Aeris said. "John and Zinnia here need to see the place they met, I think."

"Actually, we had already met in the shower," John said. At Aeris' blank look, "Sorry. Long story."

Zinnia cut in. "I want to see the village. I need to see the village I failed to save."

"I would like to see it too," Aeris said. "Something of my people. Even though it will hurt."

"John here is the eternal optimist," Zinnia said with his voice. "Though he's pessimistic on the small stuff, he insists there are more of our people alive somewhere. As if he could will it. I - I saw what Carmine and Gregor did to those villages. I'm not so hopeful."

"We should move," John said, "before I have another breakdown."

Aeris did not argue. They climbed, the trail turning upward at a gentle slope, switching back now and again to climb the other direction. John tapped a gentle spell out of the new Mist materia, enough to keep himself shielded from direct sunlight but not so much they could get lost in fog. Marlene started to flag so Aeris hoisted her into a piggyback, Fluffy jumping lightly into John's arms.

"Fluffy likes you, Zinnia," John said.

"She shows good taste."

"Meow?" Fluffy began cleaning her fore paws.

The trail steepened for a few minutes before it leveled, reaching the place John had traveled in his vision. Having climbed high enough to find clumps of pine and cedar, the evergreen scent gave him a new surge of energy. Aeris barely broke a sweat, despite carrying Marlene. In amongst the pines grew gnarled fruit trees, some laden with a greenish gray fruit. The trees to John looked like haggard pilgrims struggling to the mountaintop, limbs thrust out, supplicants to the sun and wind.

"Yummy fruit?" Marlene said.

"Those are power pears," Zinnia said. "Don't try to eat one. They're rock hard and sour enough to pinch your face into a permanent frown. They make killer jam and heavenly tarts, especially when wrapped in a flaky crust. What is it, John? Why have we stopped?"

"I had a sudden thought. One of those deep revelations that could save the world if I only I could remember it."

"We'd better get going then. I feel a creepiness coming from you."

"Means he's normal," Aeris said. They continued their hike. Fluffy twitched in John's arms, though she quieted from a discreet head scratch. John's attention drifted to that dark green mound, the Ancient Forest, perched on its far mesa.

"You have a fascination for that clump of trees, don't you?" Zinnia said. "I did, too, for the longest time. Gazing at it those long months kept me sane. Do you cling to the belief there are Ancients living there?"

John nodded.

"I used to think the same thing. When my home village - the one near Junon - was destroyed, I traveled to Midgar, hoping to find one of the plains Cetra communities still intact. Small enclaves used to cluster about in what are now the slums, though when Shinra started building that elevated plate, many of the occupants fled. I heard rumors about stubborn ones who stayed but I could find no trace of them. Not even part-Cetra relatives. Only word I heard was that a large group of three or four extended families had fled to what is now Rocket Town, but then they disappeared without a trace."

"What happened to them?" Marlene said.

"No one knew. Not even Shinra, thankfully."

"Maybe they took off on a rocket?"

"That would be a sight. Don't think they had rockets yet, but Shinra isn't saying."

They continued walking. They had almost made the summit when John felt Zinnia's tension within.

"What did you do next? In Midgar?" Aeris asked.

John felt his gut tighten but allowed Zinnia to speak.

"I broke into a Shinra building. In the basement, they had files, a huge ledger in Gregor Granth's old office. It listed all the Cetra clans they had traced from census data. It was Gregor's personal ledger, filled with names. Gregor marked them through with a red pen when, when - by the Planet, Aeris, there were thousands of them!"

The group stopped. Aeris stood speechless, tears in her eyes. John wanted to comfort her but felt trapped riding Zinnia's fury. He settled for saying, "Did you destroy that book, Zinnia?"

"What good would it do? Shinra had its computer files and the operatives still had their orders. All it would accomplish would be to let Gregor know I was on to him. But yes, I destroyed it, burning the cursed thing along with the whole bleeding office building."

"You and Barret have something in common."

Aeris spoke in a whisper. "I hope, maybe, you slowed them down."

"I did, actually," Zinnia said. "Though not from loss of data. I became their new target. Ha-ha, the primary terrorist threat."

"A threat to company and profits," John said.

"I also knew their plans. Shinra had kept the Black Wind operation under wraps, not only to keep the Cetra off guard but also, Shinra had not yet bought control of all the media. It was unlikely a wildcat reporter would stir up public opinion, what with everyone reliant on mako power and all, but Shinra still didn't want to risk a backlash."

John added, "Service to the future, service to the company."

"As it happened, I didn't bother with the press. Instead, I found two areas where Black Wind had not yet touched. One was Wutai, where the war was on, and the other was here, Cosmo Canyon."

"The Gi attack," Aeris said.

"Yes. Shinra didn't want to assault Cosmo Canyon directly, not with the defector Bugenhagen to direct the defense and warrior Seto to lead the guards. So Carmine bribed the Gi tribe to raid through the Gi Caverns."

"The things we do for company value," John said.

"Gi," Zinnia said, "are loathsome creatures, at least their main tribe. I sent a warning message to Seto and I was returning to warn the mountain village to lay low, when . . . "

"They caught you?" Aeris said.

"Carmine. She wanted me, and bad, after what I did to Gregor's office."

They reached the summit, where they stopped to rest. The four weathered ash poles still stood, the cross-hatch at their tops still intact, but nothing else remained of the diabolic contraption except a rusty metal loop where the top timbers crossed. Below it, someone had cleared the debris and ringed the center with stones; perhaps a passing hunter had used the structure as a fire pit. A short ways off, clusters of bright white flowers bloomed, waving in the breezy sunlight.

"Zinnias," Aeris said. "White Zinnias. How beautiful."

"Guess we know who died here," John said.

"They look planted. And tended."

"Maybe your ghost slipped away for some gardening while you weren't, ahem, hanging out."

Marlene scampered to the flowers, bending down to sniffed.

"Mmm."

"Careful, honey," Aeris said. "Watch for bees."

John walked over to the hill's far edge and looked down. The path continued, steeper here, switching back and forth down the rocky, vine choked slope toward a level thicket of pines and a large number of those twisted pear trees, more of which bore a bounty of fruit. In the distance, the red canyons glowed in the setting sun.

"What are those bushes with the red berries?" John said to Zinnia.

"Coffee. Grows wild around here, though these plants look cultivated," Zinnia said.

"Was your village visible from here?"

"Used to be. Now there's nothing but those pine trees."

"Hmm. I wonder."

A shout from Aeris brought them to attention. She pointed upward, where the whup-whup-whup of helicopter blades announced an arrival from the canyon. But not from Cosmo city; John spotted the Shinra logo on the tail. The chopper paused, turned, finally settling to a landing in the clearing below Zinnia's ash pole scaffold. Aeris stood bracing Marlene behind her with one arm, both of them with their hair fluttering in the gusting wind.

The engine idled. A door opened and two Shinra blues stepped out, followed by a tall red-haired man in a pressed white suit leading a lanky black dog, its tail too long, as if crossbred with a giant possum. Two more blue suits dismounted after them.

"Rufus," Aeris said. "Mr. President." She spoke with a dash of insolence. "What brings you so far from your cozy Shinra tower?"

"Ah, the escaped Ancient. Fancy meeting you here. Could this mean your spiky haired leader is around somewhere? He wouldn't go off and leave you to the wolves, would he?" His doggy thing uttered a low growl.

Aeris tightened her grip on her staff, the Princess Guard. John could see the seven materia orbs glittering in the lazy sunlight. He also spotted her materia laden Wizard Bracelet. Aeris looked loaded for dragon.

"Let's not get testy, shall we?" Rufus said. He hefted his personal shotgun, careful not to aim it in Aeris' direction. "Ah, do I see Barret's little whelp with you?"

Marlene stepped to the side, doubled up her pudgy little fists and performed a few sweeping high kicks, complete with battle shrieks.

"Ooh, I'm frightened," Rufus said. One of the blue suits applauded.

"Why are you here, Mr. President?" Aeris said. "Playing king of the hill?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but I am here to subdue and hopefully capture an escaped lab specimen."

Aeris growled.

"No, not you, Ancient, though you would make a nice bonus. No, before that idiot Hojo went totally bat-soup, he tried to re-animate a dead body with an infusion of Jenova cells and God knows what else. Turns out there was a freak electrical storm - or perhaps an earthquake - a few weeks back, right after that disaster in the North Crater with Sephiroth. In the aftermath his specimen escaped. Not that Hojo will do anything but catch flies at this point. More recently, his specimen ravaged an entire pig farm near Fulsom's Crossing."

"And you believe that creature is coming here?" John said. "You think it decided to go on a nature hike after a hard day of pig ravaging?"

"Do you see that mist on the valley floor?" Rufus pointed. "The creature is approaching."

"And you are here to defeat it?" John had to take a giggle break. "You, your bang toy, your four guards, and your overgrown puppy with the whip tail?"

"Not quite all," Rufus said with annoyance. He waved at the helicopter. A door opened, and a blue suited blonde woman - with frizzy, flyaway hair, as if her hairdryer broke and she tried drying her hair in the nearest microwave - leaped gracefully to the ground.

"You, ma'am, need to discover the power of hair spray."

"Oh no," the woman said, grabbing an unruly clump of hair lest it magnetize and suck the mistletoe out of the pear trees. "It's you."

"Elena," John said. "My favorite Turk, faintly damning praise though that may be."

"We aren't the Turks anymore. We are Xee. But the three of you need to leave now. This is no place for flower girls and children."

"I suppose you have a secret plan to deal with this creature? Ask it out to dinner, perchance?"

"Enough!" Elena snapped. "I'm not asking you again. Leave."

"Technically, you did just ask me again."

"Leave!"

"Turk." Zinnia spat the word out of John's mouth with venom. "Nothing but a murdering - "

John clamped a hand over his mouth in a move that had to look comical. He saw Aeris pull back, ordering Marlene to crouch behind her.

Zinnia wrenched his hand free with his other hand. "You're all a bunch of murdering Shinra bastards. You, Turk, are probably Gregor's handmaiden."

Elena looked puzzled. "Who is Gregor?"

"As if you didn't know. And you, President Chuckle-nuts, get the hell off my mountain. I didn't suffer all these years to have some wangless wonder drop a load of pus on it! Die, you sonofa - "

"Zinnia!" John forced her name through clenched teeth, jerking their shared body sideways.

"Burn in hell! All of you!" Zinnia lunged forward but John snaked out his hand to snag a protruding branch, planting their shared body in the dirt.

"Let go!" Zinnia used his other hand to pry at the clenched one. They fought for control, swearing at each other out loud until something like a steel whip cracked them across the chest.

Rufus' dog thing snarled, its tail winding up for another strike. John ducked, breaking off the branch with a snap. Zinnia held it up as a crude staff. The tail lashed again. When it caught the staff, it zipped a coil around the middle.

"Ha!" Zinnia said.

The dog jerked. John-Zinnia held on but the coiled tail snapped the wood in half. Zinnia kicked at the dog, catching only air.

"Don't," John said. "I can't fight."

The dog must have thought this fortunate because it opened its mouth and blasted them with a triple ice bolt.

John felt himself slam against the trunk of a pear tree, a knobby protrusion punching him square in the back. The dog stalked forward, growling deep in its throat.

Two minds in one body now united in anger. The Planet worked in mysterious ways; John gave it its due. Through red rage, the two minds reached for the sky, focusing their anger like a furnace. Its release showed up as a half a dozen balls of fire, streaking down from the sky to flatten the ice dog into a smoking grease spot.

John waved away the smell of burnt tar.

Zinnia said, "What kind of limit technique was that?"

"I don't understand limit breaks but they came in handy at times."

"Heck yea; that one was a doozy."

"Hell-bomb Burst. Only the second time I've used it but I'll say the dog days of summer are officially over." He kicked at the barbecued mutt.

Elena, looking shocked, stood her ground. Rufus swung his shotgun up in John's direction but Aeris already glowed red from her ChocoMog summon. Next thing John knew, Rufus and the blue suits went down under the speeding chicken, the gun spinning from Rufus' grasp to land at Elena's feet. The frizzy Turk/Xee stepped on the barrel, even as the giant chicken scooped up its fallen mog with its beak.

John said to Zinnia, "You know, we could do a cool trick if we could put Yuffie on that bird. Maybe she would steal some materia." But he could feel the inner Cetra's hatred rise again. His eyes, not all his own, scanned the world for threats before alighting on Elena. Zinnia reached down for a weapon, settling for a jagged rock, and advanced.

"Stop!" John said. "Everyone stop!"

Everyone did. Including himself. Even the Shinra drones paused their twitching.

"Zinnia?" John struggled to hold control. "Elena, is not, Carmine. Got it? This, is Elena. She's actually, kind of nice. Sort of. Sometimes."

John walked into the midst of Rufus and his guards to stand in front of Elena. "A case of mistaken identity. A sociopathic killer is not the same as a socially insecure bureaucrat."

"What?"

John laid his hand on Elena's shoulder. "The organization you work for? You should consider a different line of work."

Elena's eyes widened. "J-Jenova?"

"Geez, that's old news." Squinting his eyes, he punched the vision into her like an flu shot.

The images flashed, brief but powerful: the carnage at Zinnia's village he had glimpsed in Hiro's shower. Flashes of the Zinnia's hideous execution interspersed with the stony smile on Carmine's face. Lastly, Gregor's ledger swiveling through space, opening to show the rows of names, so many crossed out with crimson lines, crimson that melted and ran down the page and congealed in pools of blood.

Elena screamed.

"Sorry about that. Kind of." John stroked the cheek of Elena, who slumped against the chopper. "But one thing I can't stand is the whole 'I was just following orders' excuse."

Elena choked and nodded. "All of them?" Her throat sounded rusty. She stared into the red sunset. "How many? They told us Ifalna and Aeris were the last of the Ancients. So how - "

"Most of the, ah, exterminations happened a generation ago, when Gregor Granth ran the Turks or, Xee as you call it." John spoke flatly. Even Zinnia lay flaccid in his mind. "The Cetra finally killed him I believe, but more recently Carmine, who may or may not be a relation, started the blood bath again."

"How recently?"

Zinnia spoke sharply with John's voice. "A few years back. Near Junon, tiny enclaves of Cetra still lived. She used your Turks to slaughter them."

"I don't want to hear any more!" Elena grabbed her face with her hands, but to her credit, did not cover her ears. "I can't stand it!"

"That's quite a sob story," Rufus said after climbing to his feet. "You terrorists love to make up stories to discredit Shinra. But we will not let you terrorists win."

"Oh come on," Aeris said. "Are you saying Shinra had nothing to do with the collapse of Sector Seven?"

"That was Avalanche. Blowing up mako reactors was not enough. They needed an unmistakable act of destruction so they could stand up and get noticed."

"Your father," John said, "ordered the collapse of the plate. He told me, minutes before Sephiroth shish kabobbed him. Drop the plate, kill thousands, blame it on Avalanche, watch the lemmings rally around the flag. Old trick used by tyrants throughout history. If you weren't in on it, it's pathetic you fell for it."

"I've heard enough of this. Guards?"

A weak moan answered him.

"Seize them. Place them under arrest and prepare to transport to Gongaga for questioning. On the double."

Another guard moaned. His forearm raised, then dropped.

Elena coughed.

"What are you waiting for?" Rufus goose stepped toward Elena and snatched his fallen shotgun. He whirled, weapon ready.

"Oh, chill. For God's sake." John raised his hands.

"None of your Jenova mind hanky-panky for me, if you please?"

"You can stop bullets, right?" Zinnia said to John.

"I was counting on you."

"Don't you have special Jenova tricks?"

"Maybe against one bullet, but not a shotgun."

Rufus poked his gun into John's chest. "Are you finished ranting with yourself?"

"I need my meds. It looks like rain."

"What are you talking about?" Zinnia said. "This is a clear desert sky."

"Raine, with an 'e.' Cloud's mother, coming up behind Rufus."

Rufus laughed. "You think I'm daft enough to fall for that one? Oh sure. And there are three drunk rednecks sneaking up on you."

Aeris and Elena turned toward the south, toward the distant Ancient Forest, toward an oncoming figure shrouded in a veil of mist, strolling calmly toward them. Elena backed away. Aeris sent Marlene to take cover behind an old log.

Suddenly Rufus, eyes wide, almost dropped his shotgun.

"Hi," drawled a voice behind John. "I'm Larry; this is my brother Darryl and this is my other brother Darryl."

Rufus swung his shotgun between targets.

"I personally don't cotton to the term redneck, Mr. President. Darryl here says it is a derogatory term for us rural folk used by city slickers who can't even skin and barbecue a nutria without a manual. But Darryl points out that when our cousin Jim-Bob and his wife Betty Lou blew the roof off their shed after letting their power-pear juice get too hot, the backs of their necks were indeed singed mighty red."

Rufus gaped so wide John thought him half fish. Noticing the oncoming mist figure for the first time, he backpedaled, almost tripping over a helicopter strut.

Larry continued. "What is the big chief revenuer doing out here, anyway? Darryl thinks you are trying to avoid responsibility, but Darryl claims you are simply too rock-brained stupid to know the danger you are in."

Raine stopped some twenty meters away, drawing her circling shroud of mist about her body like a gleaming ball gown. Leaves and loose twigs began to swirl about her in a gentle twister. Then John realized what caused the breeze: the revving of the helicopter blade.

"I'm going for reinforcements!" Rufus called over a loudspeaker. "Detain the creature, Elena!"

Elena leaped for a strut but the chopper had already lifted out of reach. She hit the ground hard and swore. She whirled and glared at the form of Raine, who had stopped her advance and whose mist now fully shrouded her form. Elena activated a pair of materia, showering the fallen Shinra minions with a green healing mist. After she kicked the nearest one, the four of them stood to meet the threat.

"Might I point out," John said, "Raine has taken no hostile action toward us?"

"You want to run? Go ahead. But I am a Xee. Xee never cut and run."

"Actually," Aeris said. "Reno and Rude flee every single time we meet them."

"Suit yourself. I have a creature to fight. Men! Fire at will!"

John threw himself back, pushing Aeris with him. The Shinra blues hefted their weapons and opened fire. Elena lofted a Fire spell, only to have it barely scatter on the curtain of mist.

The air hummed as Aeris threw up a magical barrier. It dimmed his sight, but John could tell the Shinra onslaught had little effect. Why did those idiots keep firing their guns when their bullets did nothing?

"Because they are idiots," Zinnia said with his voice.

Elena threw another ineffective Fire spell. Raine's glow brightened.

"I'm afraid we're about to be sucked into this," Aeris said, hefting her staff. Sure enough, Raine gestured with her hand, sending forth a blue spiral of energy on all sides, decking the four Shinra troops and shattering Aeris' barrier. Aeris whipped up a new one. When Elena tried something with lightning, Raine coughed out some kind of glowing three-headed snake that decked all three of them, Aeris landing across John's legs.

"I hate Ultima magic," Aeris said. "You can't dodge it."

Aeris managed to get off what John recognized as a Big Guard spell, which he felt surge within him, along with the energy from the snaky thing.

"What is happening to us?" Zinnia said. "I feel wired!"

Raine closed in, sending a barrage of sharp rocks against the barrier, followed by a strike at the ground, after which John found himself mired in mud, the air thick as Jell-O. After another of Raine's blue spirals, Aeris' barrier collapsed.

"Cripes she keeps us busy." John released his stored copy of Aeris' big guard spell. He smiled at Zinnia's amazement. It also popped their whole group loose from the mire.

"Knew you were good for something, kid," Elena said. "I've personally witnessed your catch and release trick. Can you do it with the creature's spells?"

"Only if I get caught outside these barriers. She likes that blue nova thing. Can't hold - "

Slam! A flash of green and next he knew he lay on his side trying to unpop his ears. His head buzzed like a burning beehive.

Aeris began shaking him. "I've managed to silence her for now," she said from far away. "You okay?"

"I think so." Beside them, Elena also pulled herself to her feet, shaking her head with fury.

"You might want to hold - "

Elena cut him off by spraying Raine with a hail of ineffective ice bolts.

"Or maybe not."

Elena flew into a rage, charging Raine with staff held high, only to bounce off the mist barrier.

"Two can play the barrier game," John mused, feeling giddy at unplugging an ear. "That last trick was some sort of vacuum attack and I took it right in the snoot."

John felt himself warmed by a Healing Wind but when he turned to thank Aeris, he found her busy trying to restrain Elena. "What the heck?" He said. "Zinnia, did you cast that Healing Wind?"

"I can't. Never was much good at it, even when I had a body."

"Then who?"

Elena said, "What's up with the creature? Is she overheating? Maybe she'll save us the trouble and self-destruct."

"Self dest - " John blinked. "Oh no! Everyone drop your materia! Now!"

Aeris let go of her staff and yanked off her armlet. Elena just stared at him.

"Are you crazy, kid? I'm not dropping - "

Raine glowed a blinding white. The indistinct body within the glowing fog contorted itself into impossible forms, head and shoulders almost separating from the rest, though John and Zinnia had no time to ponder it as the light seared its way into their shared skull and enveloped them in exquisite pain.

* * *

Numbness. Under that, agony, held at bay but bundled as if in a blanket, ready to burst out like an rabid cat.

Groan.

Coolness touched his cheek. He felt a stirring in his mind, now familiar. Zinnia.

More coolness, fingers stroked his face, his hair. Rougher - though still gentle - hands massaged his neck and shoulders. A new warmth began to spread, driving back the razor blades of pain. After a while, John felt brave enough to open his eyes, only to find his vision swathed in tendrils of emerald green. Zinnia closed his eyes with a surprised yelp.

Another cool cloth on his forehead. John smiled through another groan.

"May I open my eyes now?" he asked Zinnia.

"I didn't want you to see anything that would alarm you," Zinnia said.

"I'm obviously not dead, else you wouldn't be here to pester me."

"Don't be so sure of that. I've been dead for, how long?"

John opened his eyes. He found himself inside a cabin, complete with two deer heads mounted on either side of a stone fireplace. On all the wooden walls hung tools, pictures, pots and pans, all making way for the occasional round window. Near the fireplace lay Elena on another cot. Against the nearest wall stood a familiar trio.

"Hi. I'm Larry; this is my brother Darryl and this is my other brother Darryl."

"Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse," John said, closing his eyes.

"He's not asleep," the voice of Marlene said. "He's faking, Auntie Aeris."

John flopped back onto his back and stared back up at the group. Aeris and Marlene stood next to him, and behind them stood a another woman, dark hair and indeterminate age, her hands scented with something warm and spicy. Marlene's charming shape comprised the only one of those standing not swathed in that bright green glow.

Zinnia said, "I guess we know who here is not a Cetra."

"Huh?" John said.

Larry said, "Darryl thinks your aura perception will be heightened by your exposure to the reverse materia storm, but Darryl, on the other hand, simply thinks his brother is grateful you warned him to drop his shovel."

John said, "You know? I understood every word you said but I can't make a bit of sense out of it."

"Aire Tam Storm, the slang word for it," Larry said. "Turning the opponent's materia against them in a feedback charge. The effect, I hear, is highly unpleasant. Like laughing so hard you snort power pear juice out your nose. Very few people can do it. In fact, Darryl says he didn't know anyone could do it, until that mist lady appeared. Darryl, on the other hand, says it's just lucky he dropped the shovel."

"What's all this about a shovel?" John suppressed the urge to scream.

"Darryl's hot idea, an Earth materia built into the handle of his shovel. Darryl, on the other hand, insists his own invention is superior, an Ice materia in the bottom of his beer keg."

"Which," Zinnia said, "I trust he didn't take with him?"

"He was mooning for it, at least until his brother had to ditch the shovel."

"Does he sleep with that damned shovel?"

"No, but he's a bit scared of touching it with that mist lady around. Still, had to bury the revenuers."

"You killed them?"

"Your mist lady fried them. Nearly iced you too, though in a way it was lucky for us she did. She face-planted right after you went down."

"That's another thing," John said. "Why did I go down?"

Aeris lifted his arm. "See this armlet? See these pretty little gems in it? There's a green one, and a pink one, and a blue one and a yellow one."

"Oh. I forgot I had it on."

Aeris sighed. "If you're going to wear materia, why not wear something useful? After all, a Mist materia?"

"In keeps my skin moist."

"You bought Shinra Ding-Dongs because the storekeeper swore they were nutritious."

"No, I bought them because they reminded me of Hostess Ding-Dongs from another world. And they are decidedly not nutritious. Haven't you ever had a craving for chocolate coated cupcakes filled with whipped lard?"

Aeris grimaced. "Nor have I caught the urge to chow down on spiced grubs."

Larry said, "Don't dis Hiro's curried rock shrimp. He appreciates our business. Course, that could be because Darryl smacks so loud that Auntie Pamela wants to smack him."

The new woman spoke for the first time. "I'd tan his hide with my bare hands if I weren't such a sophisticated woman."

"She not only went to college, she won the coal carrying contest last year."

"Fancy Larry not even betting on me getting seventy kilos on my back."

"Seventy!" John said.

"Little Miss Wanda down the lane? All hoity-toity 'cause she says the Planet talks to her in a special accent? She tried to sneak in a strength potion and call it pear juice. Well, I made sure her pretend pear juice was the real live thing, and not just any old pear juice. I gave her a taste of Dolly Maisy's floor slappin' glow-juice. Little Miss hoity-toity tried chargin' up that hill, an oh my, she beaned right into Flouncy Flo, who only carried fifty kilos but claimed sixty, and darned if she didn't clip Wanda a shiny one with that mean left hook of hers."

"I never was the coal hauling type," Zinnia said.

Pamela dipped her cloth into a bowl and walked over to Elena. She soothed Elena's head until the blonde Turk/Xee groaned. Elena relaxed, head rolling sideways.

"She will sleep," Pamela said. "No sense having Shinra know our location. I hate moving."

"The whole village will drive off the revenuers," Larry said. "Darryl sets the coon dogs on 'em, while Darryl uses his shovel to trap 'em by the old gravel pit."

The two Darryls grinned and high fived.

"Let me get this straight," Aeris said, eyes shining. "All of you? You are all Cetra?"

"Protectors of the Planet, that's us," Larry said. "Darryl thinks the Planet's in a whole peck of trouble if we're all that's left, though Darryl thinks with enough power pears, we can conquer any problem."

"Anyway," Pam said, "we put your friend in the back room there." Pam motioned to a solid door, overhung by a tough netting set with dangling clay pots.

"She's here?" Zinnia said, reaching with John's free hand to yank off the armlet. "You brought that creature into your house?"

"Don't worry. Those walls held a black bear last year," Larry said.

"Course," Pamela said, "That was after Billy-Bob shot it."

A dull thump from the other room jerked them all to attention. Zinnia stood, wanting to look dignified, John made it hard by tangling his feet in a wicker chair, barking his shin on a stone coffee table. Aeris reached to steady him. The others arrayed themselves in a semicircle facing the door, Larry holding what looked like an undersized beer keg with extra nozzles, and Marlene sporting a fireplace poker in a batter-up stance.

"Careful with that, honey," Aeris said.

From behind the wall, another bump. A scrape. A whimper.

"I's afraid she would wake up when you did," Pam said.

"She doesn't sound so bad now," John said.

With a crash the door burst open and Raine stepped forth, mist already clinging about her. Just as she raised her hands to strike, her face registered surprise as the weighted net tumbled down and bore her to the floor. The Darryls high-fived again, while Larry sprayed something foamy over Raine's body.

"What is that?" Zinnia asked.

"Slow gel foam," Larry said. "Darryl once made a really bad batch of beer. He claims a dead pigeon fell into it, though Darryl points out dead pigeons rarely fly. Anyway, we soaked a Slow materia in the brew and here's the result. We've got barrels of the stuff out back. Mostly we just serve it to revenuers before we dump 'em in a trash bin down in Cosmo. Darryl says you've never known a hangover until you've tasted Darryl's dead pigeon brew."

"I think," John said, his tongue feeling heavy as bread dough, "you hit, me, with that, brew, though I don't, feel . . . wet."

Aeris grabbed Marlene before the girl could brain the immobilized woman on the floor.

"By the Planet," Zinnia slurred. "You _are_ linked. You, and that creature."

"Raine," John said, feeling Aeris help him into a chair. "Not, a creature, exactly. I sense, an emptiness, a need, but not, malice."

"You boys are getting quite a collection here," Pamela said. "A Jenova, a Shinra assassin, and now a soul sucking mist maiden? So, boys, pray tell the Planet, what are you to do?"

Larry and the Darryls looked at each other and shrugged. "We could have a lard fight," Larry said. "Or a squirrel hunt."

"Don't hurt the poor squirrels!" Marlene looked shocked.

"Have you seen the squirrels around here?" Larry said. "Cruel, savage claws. Sharp, pointy teeth." Both the Darryls nodded, looking nervous. They looked up, as did everyone, when a low thrum-thrum-thrum came from outside. Larry and Aeris took turns peeping out the nearest round window.

"Aliens?" John said.

"No." Aeris smiled. "It's the _Highwind_. Cid must have repaired it."

Larry said, "Auntie Pam, looks like your problems are solved. Our friends will take them off your hands. Though Darryl says he would like to take on a real Jenova in a lard fight, if only for the symbolism, while Darryl says - "

"Zip it," Pamela said. "These people are here to help us. So we will help them."

"Right. Come on, Darryl. Let's fetch a couple buckboards from the shed and help load these varmints onto the airship. Then maybe they will take us for a little ride."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter XVII**

 **Kiss the Sky**  
 _"Not setting off a bomb, that's the tricky bit. You wanna do it? I'll be far away." - Barret_

Yuffie's scream echoed off the crags as she plunged from her ledge, her handhold having just crumbled into sand.

"Owwwww!"

Barret also called out but she could barely hear him over her own shriek.

"A little gratitude would do nicely, brat." Barret grunted as he hauled her, still struggling, back up to the ledge.

"You nearly ripped my arm off!"

"Would you rather I let go? It's not doing my arm any good either, and unlike you, I don't have one to spare."

Yuffie snarled and grabbed his arm with her other hand, finally wedging her booted foot into the rough rock crevice she had spent the afternoon climbing. With Barret's help she struggled onto the ledge where he sat braced, one boot in the crevice while his gun arm, which now sported a grappling hook attachment he had wedged in the rock above.

She took a good hold of the mountain before speaking. Her arms had scraped raw, though her forearm guards had taken the worst of it. She studied the cliff they climbed. Their ledge lay in the shadow of the evening sun, the light of which glinted off Da-Chao on the far side of the valley below them. Farther north, the range subsided to purple foothills where they flattened as they approached the coast. And there, she could make out the ugly trio of black towers. From this distance they looked little more than a hairy mole on the complexion of the seaside plains.

"Someone told me the view is better on top," Barret said.

Yuffie jerked back to her senses and seized the mountain for support.

"Someone whose idea of hiding from Shinra was to climb the highest peak and moon their base."

Yuffie glanced around. "Where's Juria?"

"Top. That nun climbs like a spider. Thought you could too, brat."

Yuffie reached up, seized a handhold, hauled herself up, found another crevice for her foot and paused. "What are you waiting for, big fella?" She continued pulling herself up, hand over hand, forgetting the danger of a possible fall. In minutes, she heaved herself onto the flat top, where she sat on a rock, recovering her breath enough to smirk when Barret grunted his way over the rim.

"All right," he said, still winded, "we're here. Now what?"

Yuffie stood and turned a three-sixty. They stood on a plateau the size of a courtyard, one of many along this mountain range, each one covered with a bright green carpet of grass, looking as if giant shears had clipped off the mountain peaks to make stepping stones.

She found Juria sitting lotus style, staring directly west, eyes closed. The nun interrupted her chant and opened her eyes as if sensing Yuffie's stare.

Yuffie opened her mouth to wisecrack but felt stricken for words.

Juria spoke, "I am invoking the earth spirits for our survival. I take it you plan something rash?"

"What do they teach you at that convent?"

"Perhaps you could speak with Mother Noriko to enter and discover for yourself."

Yuffie snorted.

"In any case, our journey will be brief, though our struggles will be mighty."

"Sounds like something you read in a fortune cookie."

"It is. But as I feel it is so often relevant, I have added it to my daily meditation. In the convent, Mother Noriko has a similar saying. The easy path hides the venomous snakes."

Yuffie smiled and pulled out her Oritsuru. "Bring it on."

"Let us not be hasty. I sense no Shinra presence here."

Yuffie glanced around and had to admit she felt a cool peace inside her heart, despite the battle lust.

Juria said, "I have asked the spirits for advice many times but this is the first time I have ever heard them sound hopeful."

"Wait. They talk back to you?" When Juria said nothing, Yuffie continued. "Usually, when spirits talk to you, it means you've drunk too much sake."

"Alas, as a nun, I am deprived of that excuse."

"Hopeful, you say?"

"Do they not talk to you as well, daughter of Kohana?"

Yuffie again suppressed a quip. Instead, she glanced at Da-Chao. "I guess, in a way. I can really pump out Leviathan, after all."

"Listen at night, when all is quiet, hear the whisper, wisdom in the dark."

"Okay . . ."

Barret, looking recovered, had joined them. Yuffie stared back at those towers, the triple black towers of Shinra, three black fireplugs entangled in barbed wire.

"Want a closer look?" Barret handed her a spyglass.

She pressed her eye to the peep hole, deciding it only made the Shinra facility look even more ugly. In the foreground, a double thick layer of metal fencing topped with razor wire circled the compound. Probably a million volts running through there. Beyond, the three towers looked more forbidding than ever. The crossbars between them teamed with blue-suited minions, army ants on carrion. Yuffie could sense an aura of urgency over the place. Suddenly her cavalier attitude did not feel so sane.

"We just plan to stroll up and knock?"

"We are Avalanche," Barret said.

From the north, three Shinra aircraft, mere specks at this distance, coasted in to land.

"We might tunnel under that fence. Bring along some raw meat to feed the dogs."

"Who said anything about dogs?"

"Places like that always have dogs. Why, just last year I was sneaking onto the Yamamoto estate - "

"I'm sure you didn't get anything you didn't deserve."

"I went through all six steaks just to reach the garden wall. I had to nick his mermaid statue 'cause I was so annoyed at him."

"Perhaps," Juria said, "Our answer is in the sky above us."

That gave Yuffie an idea. She checked her current materia orbs. "I could drop a Comet spell on the main gate house, or better yet, on the power generator for the fence. Then we have Tifa summon her Titan to blow a whole in the fence. I whack the dogs with an Ultima spell and shove Barret in front to take out any loose guards. Juria, we'll need you to chant one of your Zen poems to get the doors open but once inside, we can handle all the guards they throw at us."

"What do you plan to do inside, Miss Yuffie?"

"Barret will blow the place up. It's what he does."

Juria looked at Yuffie with eyes so excited it made her skip a breath.

"Come on, brat, how am I going to manage that?" Barret said.

"You toasted those mako reactors."

"I had Cloud along to set the bomb."

"How hard can it be to set off a bomb?"

"Not hard at all. Not setting off a bomb, that's the tricky bit. You wanna do it? I'll be far away."

"We would need three of them," Juria said.

"One for each tower, you mean?" Yuffie said. "One tower for each of us? Cool!"

"In an ideal world. Unfortunately, I fear we all lack the peace to act separately."

"Peace?" Barret said. "What the hell we need peace for blowin' things up?"

"A group has strength."

"One tower at a time, then. I hear you. More shootin', more fightin'."

"One problem," Yuffie said. "Who has the bombs?"

They looked at each other.

"They'd need to be large ones to bring down those towers."

"I can't believe it," Barret said. "Did I just hear Yuffie acting restrained?"

"Within strength is weakness; within weakness is strength," Juria said.

"What the hell are you talkin' about?"

Juria motioned the other two over to where she had moved, standing amidst a tumble of squarish blocks. Moss and seedlings sprouted amongst them, sheltered from sunlight. The nun scraped the debris off a larger, flat stone to reveal a series of pictographs. Juria traced her fingers along a group of characters.

"Umeka, Yuffie's aunt, brought me here once, right after the war. She told me to keep the place safe. She explained the meanings of some of these lines, like this one. 'Endure. In enduring, grow strong.'"

"This an old Wutai temple?" Barret said. "Or - "

"The Ancients?" Yuffie said. "That writing, it looks the carvings inside the Forgotten Capital. And you say my aunt could read the characters?"

"Umeka studied the writings of the Ancients. She felt it important to keep a link to the past."

Yuffie noticed Juria wouldn't meet her eyes but brushed it off, opting to pan her gaze across the horizon. Crisp sky, clear air, gray-green haze above towers.

"Production must be on for that nasty invert mako stuff."

Barret said, "Still sucking the life out of the Planet." He began to shadowbox.

Juria lay her palms on his shoulders, though she had to stand on tiptoes to do it.

"Be calm, like the river in winter."

"What? Which river?"

"Shh."

A breeze began to blow. Yuffie looked around, trying to locate the low thrumming that grew louder by the second. She glanced at the others but relaxed when she saw Juria sitting by her shrine entranced. Even Barret stood staring and grinning.

"Anyone care to share the joke?" She looked around again, then realized. "The _Highwind?_ But where is it?"

The breeze became a whirlwind. As if stepping from behind a curtain, the awkward yet cool looking airship slipped into view right above their tableland, where it eased into a hover. Four anchoring cables descended to seize the earth before a rope ladder flopped down from the airship's bottom deck. Yuffie looked away; just thinking about that sloshing, pitching ride made her stomach turn a pale shade of green. The air felt tight, as if wrapped in plastic. Her vision rolled. Next thing she knew she lay draped across Barret's arm, staring up at his rough face.

"We have to stop meeting like this, brat."

Yuffie sputtered and tried to stand. "You didn't see that," she called to Cloud, who had just leaped down from the ladder.

"See what?" he said, a maddening smirk at the corners of his mouth.

"Nothin'!" Barret said, straightening out his leather jacket.

Tifa clambered to the ground beside Cloud. Whoa. Had she cut her hair? Yes, about a hand-span off the ends. Good-bye split ends.

"What's with the invisibility thing?" Yuffie wanted to change the subject.

"You'll have to ask Cait Sith or Nanaki," Tifa said. "Everybody's aboard. Oh, I don't believe I've met your companion."

"This is Juria, a nun. Many other talents."

Juria bowed. "Pleased to meet you."

Cloud said, "Anyone who can make Yuffie fall in love with Barret has amazing talents."

"Grrr!" Yuffie could feel herself blush. Barret, for his part, stepped back but kept his composure.

"Take it easy, kiddo." Tifa draped her arm over Yuffie's shoulders. "It's good to see Cloud with a sense of humor."

"Even tall dark and mysterious has a smile on his face today." Yuffie pointed to the usually dour Vincent in his billowing red cape who floated down next to the ladder. "Still a showoff though."

"Though we have taken separate paths, our goal is the same," Vincent said, pointing to the triple towers. "You, I hear, have met Scarlet's cousin Carmine?"

"Ugh," Yuffie said. "I'd love to get my hands on that creepy, backbiting little - "

"That's the one," Tifa said, rubbing her fists together.

"She runs the production of invert mako," Vincent said, "and her base is right over there."

"Cait Sith confirmed it," Cloud said. "Operation Black Wind, phase one, purge Wutai of enemy insurgents. You, Yuffie, have moved toward the top of the list. How does it feel to be famous?"

Yuffie grinned. "I welcome the challenge."

"Then we must confer. Everyone aboard. We dare not stay uncloaked for too long. Shinra is looking for us and we don't want them to find us until we are good and ready."

"Just how is it you turn the _Highwind_ invisible?"

"When Cait Sith showed up in Cosmo Canyon, he not only had the information on the invert mako facility, he also rerouted a Shinra shipment from Junon to Costa del Sol. Something called a huge materia."

Yuffie licked her lips as her heartbeat raced. "Did you just say, huge materia?"

"Don't even think about it," Cloud said. "Cid and Nanaki rigged an electronic loop that uses the materia to cloak us. I don't understand the details but Nanaki mentioned something about bending light waves."

Yuffie wanted to see this huge materia so much she forgot her aversion to air travel and started up the rope ladder. She stopped when Juria spoke.

"Cloud, you mentioned Black Wind, phase one. Is there a phase two?"

Cloud's face grew grim. "There is. Shinra is planning to gather enough of their invert mako to assemble a bomb. A bomb like that, exploded in midair above the target, would blanket everything up to three kilometers away in an inferno, destroying everything organic.

Yuffie froze. "Wutai? She wants to bomb - "

"Not Wutai. Not now, at least. Shinra already conquered Wutai, though if this weapon is effective they can use it as threat to quell any resistance."

"Then where?"

"The one nut Shinra has never been able to crack. Cosmo Canyon."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter XVIII**

 **Council of War**  
 _"You're looking at me like I'm going to be doing this." - Yuffie_

"Our group continues to grow," Vincent said. He sat on a metal ledge in the packed conference room. Yuffie saw the entire Avalanche team together for the first time since they had rumbled with Sephiroth, back in the North Crater. The newly reconstituted Cait Sith sat by the door, his cat half looking as dignified as possible while balancing on his flopping pedestal, the white flippered moogle that forever bobbled like a Jello salad.

The others sat arrayed along the conference table, except for Cloud who stood at the far end by the video screen. Tifa and Nanaki flanked him, Tifa giving him those moon eyes of hers but Cloud, as usual, too dense to notice. (Hard to tell with Barret blocking her view though. Why did the big hulk park himself next to her anyway?) Yuffie glanced at Aeris, who sat across from her with a sly smile etched on her face, quite the contrast to the hyperkinetic Cait Sith.

"Nice to have everyone together again." Cid, who sat at the head of the table, stood up. He fumbled in his jacket pocket, frowned, fumbled in his other pocket, scowled, and scrabbled at his pants pockets. "Damn. I can't believe I smoked my last - "

"Endure," said Juria. "In enduring, grow strong."

"The hell? Do we have a talking fortune cookie in here?"

"The question is," said Vincent, perched on no more than his heels though looking as serene as a kitten (unless someone had stapled his butt to the wall?), "The question is, can we trust her?"

"I can vouch for her," Barret said. "I've seen her wallopin' Shinra with a passion. There was heat in that stick of hers."

"I have heard much of your group's struggles," Juria said. "Many from my friend Yuffie."

"Now if you ask me if we should trust Yuffie, well." He snorted.

Yuffie slugged him.

Juria said, "I wish to put an end to Shinra's weapon research at Carmine's base. The existence of such a program is an insult to the Planet itself and if Shinra turns out this invert mako there will be no sanctuary anywhere. Not for anyone who stands between Shinra and world domination."

"We should take her," Nanaki said. "Perhaps she can help dismantle the Shinra facility."

"I can certainly help with the dismantling. I have experience in such things."

"What kind of convents do they run here in Wutai?" Cid asked.

"You'd be surprised," Yuffie said. "I had to stop her from bombing the restaurant. When Carmine tried to snuff us with that mako fire stuff? Juria just happened to be carrying a bomb."

"Mad bomber nuns. Well damn. You certainly fit in with our ragtag group."

"And you should have seen her deck Reno," Yuffie said with pride.

"That was Mother Noriko. But thanks," Juria said.

"We get the picture," Cloud said. "The question is - "

"We take her." Aeris stood, green eyes almost ablaze. "I have a good feeling about this. We take her."

Cid said, "Well, we know who wears the pink dress in this family. Is this feeling based on fact?"

"Call it Cetra intuition." Aeris sat. Yuffie looked from her to Juria and saw the intense stares belied by the knowing smiles. It made her shiver but she gave Aeris a thumbs up.

"Cetra intuition?" Cloud said. "Is the Planet passing you notes?"

Tifa put a hand on his arm. Juria, however, spoke for herself.

"A full Cetra should be able to contact the Planet here, so close to a shrine of power. Even a half Cetra would pick up emotional impressions." She stopped and looked at everybody staring at her, Yuffie in particular.

"Aeris must have been talking to her Jenova friend again," Cid said, "though all the kid does is sleep. Still. After two of those rituals. Anyway, I trust Aeris' intuition any day. Juria? I'm Captain Cid. Welcome aboard the _Highwind_."

"My pleasure." Juria stepped forward and shook his hand. Yuffie could not stop staring at her.

"In any case," Cloud said, activating the display board, "We need a plan. We've debriefed each other on our past few weeks and it's clear the production of invert mako at this facility must cease." He keyed a control panel. The cancerous growth of metal filled the screen. It looked uglier than it had in real life.

Three screw shaped black towers jutted at slightly off-kilter angles. Midway up their height and again at three quarters, steel walkways ran between the towers, all patrolled by guards. At the base, several cube shaped buildings clustered like mold colonies.

"What are those towers?" Tifa asked. "The whole thing looks like a prison."

Nanaki said, "Our guess is they are cooling towers of some kind. Invert mako is so unstable it needs a large quarantine area to keep it from erupting."

"Sounds like Shinra. Ungodly powerful and ungodly dangerous."

"We believe large amounts of raw mako ore start in the oval building in the north, where it is processed and passed to the towers for purification. Or more like the reverse, if you will. Reactor grade mako would be bled off and passed to a small reactor that uses it to power the whole operation. Logically, they would locate it near the towers."

Yuffie squinted and grimaced. Amidst the tumbling block buildings, there did appear the profile of a small mako reactor.

"Damn Shinra," Barret said.

Cait Sith pushed back from the table, bouncing even more feverishly. Yuffie looked away lest she become seasick, only to see everyone's heads bobbing with him. Barret, in particular, looked as if he had just smoked a big doobie.

"Blueprints on screen," Cait said. Yuffie had to admit, the cat part looked more dignified with his top hat and black cane, if only he didn't need to balance on a bouncing pudding.

On the screen the towers dimmed. Bright white lines traced the insides of buildings. In the center of the towers, three points on a triangle, a circular structure lay hidden below the blocky rooftops. A thick band connected the round area to the base of each tower.

"That central facility," Cait Sith said, "is where they weaponize the purified invert mako. Some is still not suitable for use, perhaps too unstable or non-reactive. Shinra apparently cooks off the hot stuff in the three venting towers. The dead mako they dump out the long pipe into the ocean. Dead mako, while still mutagenic, will not create the monster activity typical of a reactor. But you might find the odd three eyed fish washing up onto the beach."

Yuffie grimaced, recalling an overgrown green octopus corpse.

Cait Sith continued, "If one of these towers is disabled, the company can switch those valves and reroute the flow to the other two towers in time to shut down their center facility. They might even safely shut down with two towers off-line. What we need to do is shut off all three tower vents at once.

"No sweat," said Barret, "How do we do that?"

Cloud spoke up. "We will need to drop a team on each tower."

"Drop?" Yuffie's stomach rose into her chest.

"That's more like it!" Barret said. "Parachute onto the towers, set the charges, and boom!"

Yuffie gulped. "By boom, you mean - "

"Better to use gliders," Cid said, way too much of a grin on his face. "The wings can ride updrafts and you don't go in as hanging ducks like you do with a parachute. Do your job, then shove off."

"You're looking at me like I'm going to be doing this."

"You like to blow things up, right?"

"Oh Gawd."

"One question though," Barret said. "Supposing we set off bombs on top of the towers without getting shot to ribbons. How is this going to accomplish anything? It won't knock the towers down."

Cloud said, "No need for that. We just need to block the vents. But first, we'll stoke the fires a bit." He touched a button below the screen, and a close-up of a glass canister filled with a sinister green light appeared. "We captured fifteen of Carmine's invert mako shells when we fought with her at Lee's Camp."

"'Fought' is a generous term," Tifa said, rubbing her neck. "I'm still sore from that beating."

"Whatever. The weapon ended up in our hands. Having seen up close what this does to a living body, I can think of no better use than to shut down Shinra's production. For good."

"Speaking for Reeve," Cait Sith said, "I anticipated this action. I had the low level employees recalled to Wutai for surprise physicals."

Cloud gave him a menacing look.

"I won't be a party to slaughtering innocent workers in the name of freedom." Cait Sith's lower form stood firm and still for the first time Yuffie had ever seen. "This will not be like the mako reactors you blew up in Midgar, killing hundreds, which led to the disaster in Sector Seven."

"Are you still blaming us for that!" Barret leapt to his feet. "That was goddamn Shinra!"

"Yes, it was a despicable act, by an insane president. But you have to admit, Shinra would not have collapsed Sector Seven had you not been blowing up reactors with wild abandon."

Cloud cut off Barret's retort. "Enough of this. Cait, if Reeve wants to play hero, go ahead, but don't jeopardize our mission."

"On the contrary." Cait Sith began to jiggle again. "Computer records will show that, after days of his phone calls not being returned, he tried to save as many loyal Shinra employees as possible."

"Won't he be at risk?" Aeris said.

"Documents will show how the newly renamed Xee had intercepted plans of the rebel attack. These documents will appear after the fact, but a certain computer genius will backdate the metadata. Computer aptitude comes in handy in the world of high finance."

"Oh hell," Cid said. "I just fly the airship. We may be invisible, but we'll still show on radar unless I fly us low enough. Lucky for you all, I'm a damn good pilot." Referring to the diagram, he continued. "We will fly in low. I filled up the launch pods with missiles back at Cosmo. We are armed to the damned teeth. We'll spray out a barrage that should take out the Takeo hangers and the ammo dumps in one whack. They'll probably have some planes on the airfield but we'll scope those out while we're coming in and be ready to hit them with a second barrage. If we're lucky, we'll smash all of them. If not, a couple may limp away."

"How about planes on patrol?" Vincent said.

"Ha. At night, two pairs of fighters patrol in four hour shifts. The shifts are staggered every two hours so if we attack just after they land, we can smash a couple of them on the ground."

"What if they launch the new planes before landing the old ones?" Yuffie asked.

"Thought of that. We'll need a distraction."

"Cool," said Yuffie, not meaning it.

"It'll be you, brat," Cid said. "We'll drop you at the end of the airfield before we swing around for our attack."

"Drop? Like, through the air?"

"A glider. Clear wings. You'll drift to the ground. In the commotion, no one will spot you."

"And just what do I do when I hit the ground? Break both legs and snap my neck?"

Cloud reached into his pocket and drew out a gleaming red materia orb. "We figured you might want to test out this new materia." He tossed it to Yuffie, who caught it in an instant sugar high. "We placed two of our summon materia close to our Huge Materia - "

"I still want to see that!"

"All in good time, Yuffie. Anyway, we lost our Bahamut and our Neo-Bahamut but came away with this."

Yuffie peered into the ruby light. "Bahamut Zero," she whispered with lust. "Just like in all those Wutai monster movies."

"Puff the Magic Dragon," Cid said. "Worked wonders to sweep the Shinra secret agents off the lower decks when they tried to stop our takeoff from Cosmo Canyon. Poor Rufus had to flutter away in his chopper."

"For the second time that day," Aeris said.

"One question," Yuffie said, feeling strangely cautious. "What's to stop the airfield from swarming with Shinra troops?"

"Looks like we might need another distraction."

The door slid open and there stood a sleepy looking John Philip Sorea, half slouched over, looking no more menacing than a tonberry. His kid face lifted, his porcelain face with bone white hair and lavender eyes surveying the room, smiling as he caught Aeris.

"I won't ask how you knew to show up on cue," Cid said, "though I wouldn't mind you teaching that trick to my flight crew."

Barret said, "He looks smashed. Didn't we cure him?"

"Twice." Aeris smiled. "First time, he stayed up barely an hour before he gave his new life force to save Bugenhagen.

"What a riot that was," Cid said. "I came back for a smoke after an all-nighter on the _Highwind,_ and there's old Boogie with a new opera voice, bringing down the house at Hiro's bar singing a song about dead puppies. Like John here passed off a little crazy to him."

"Never mind that," Cloud said. "You're awake, John. Where is my mother?"

"Takes her awhile to get moving. For the record, I'm getting tired of getting shot by your trank gun, Vinnie."

Vincent on his wall perch shifted something, though he appeared not to have moved.

"I hear you need a distraction? How about my Little Bo Peep materia?"

"You mean that huge sheep?" Barret said. "Maybe Yuffie should have it."

Vincent said, "She has a dragon. That should keep Shinra busy."

"I figured I could drop in and crash my sheep through the front gate. That way," he said with a smirk, "they won't even think of Yuffie."

"Suppose they gun her down for the good of the human race? I know I've been tempted to do it myself in the past."

"Barret," Tifa said. "Aren't you past that yet?"

"You spend a day crawling through sewers with Yuffie and you try to keep your sanity."

"I know what you mean," John said. "I once saved Aeris from certain death and as a reward Yuffie smacked me upside the head. Twice."

"Moving right along." Cloud rapped on the table.

John took a step farther into the room, turned to Yuffie and stopped dead, a shocked expression passing to something even more wild.

"You're alive!"

"What was your first clue?" Yuffie said. "My fist about to clip you in the chops?"

"Not you, child," John said with a creepy voice. "Umeka."

Yuffie heard a stirring beside her.

Juria sat forward, looking confused. "You are mistaken. I am Juria Maiya of Healing Waters."

"That's as may be now. But you are also Umeka Yamagawa of the people. Half the people, anyway, since your father was a Wutai silk merchant whom your mother rescued from drowning, but that only binds you more tightly to the Planet, seeing as how you live in both worlds. You have hidden well, all these years. Hiding in plain sight."

After a bit of confused silence, Barret spoke up. "I, I kinda wondered why Juria wasn't on Shinra's hit list. I mean, you go around blowing up restaurants you gotta be on somebody's list."

"She didn't blow up a restaurant."

"Yea yea brat. But she managed to teach you restraint, which is harder."

The nun held up her arm. "If confession is good for the soul, I confess, I am Umeka, though I haven't used that name since Shinra murdered my sister Kohana. After that, even after my time in the order, my thirst for revenge culminated in the botched bombing of the North Corel reactor." She hung her head. "I take full responsibility."

Barret snorted. "You didn't set the faulty bombs, did you?"

"No. Genji sent me away. If I'd been there - "

"You'd have been killed, like all the rest."

"I could have fought."

"And so could I. But we both would have died. What would have Marlene done without me?"

Cid said, "There's a lot of guilt to go around in this group. Vincent here spent twenty-seven years in a damn coffin as his self-imposed punishment. And if you check out our fearless leader, after we went to all that trouble to retrieve the black materia from the Ancient Temple? This joker up and hands it to Sephiroth. He would have done it again in the North Crater, had not Aeris here whacked him in the nads with her staff."

"I'd prefer we not bring that up," Cloud said, "It's still a sore point with me."

"Yea. Then John fumbled the black materia. Who knows where the hell that might show up."

A thought finally occurred to Yuffie. "Juria, if you are half Cetra, like my mother? That makes me - "

"A quarter Cetra and full brat," Cid said. "Though I've wondered about that Clear Tranquil ability of yours."

"Another thing. What about the incompetent bombers? Who did try to blow up the North Corel reactor?"

The doors swished back open. "Hi. I'm Larry; this is my brother Darryl and this is my other brother Darryl."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter XIX**

 **No Reunion**  
 _"That ought to be enough to goose their cooks." - Cid_

For Tifa, the universe began to coalesce. Though she could not begin to untangle the web of rebel Wutai nuns, she saw the look on Juria's - or, Umeka's - face when the three Cosmo rednecks appeared.

"Stone," Tifa said. "From Lee's Camp. Darryl and Larry Stone. Code names - the hair. Jasper." (Larry nodded) "Citrine." (Blond Darryl nodded) "And Garnet. But, who's the extra Darryl?"

The two Darryls looked at each other and shrugged. Larry said, "Darryl suggests there may have been a spatial anomaly in our escape tunnel that bifurcated his personality into two. Darryl, on the other hand, notes the townsfolk were never good at counting."

"I, see," Tifa lied. "Any reason they both have the same name?"

"Both of our mothers liked the name best of all."

"Um . . ."

"Darryl is Aunt Pamela's son."

"And, he's still your brother."

"Why, of course."

"I hope Pamela is your mother's sister and not your father's."

"Of course." Larry looked offended. "We are hill Cetra. That kind of hanky-panky went on with the forest Cetra."

"Not in my forest," Zinnia said in a snippy voice.

"I'm sure this is fascinating," Barret said. "Thing is, now you want us to trust the same bumblers who honked up the Corel bombing? Holy, bleeding - "

"More my fault than theirs," Juria said. "Genji warned me about using cast-off Shinra explosives."

"I don't give a hot damn whose fault it was! We need it to work this time. No time for screw-ups. I lost Myrna and the whole damn town on the last one. Now the Shinra bastards want to destroy Cosmo Canyon!"

Larry and the Darryls hung their heads in unison.

Tifa said, "We made plenty of mistakes ourselves when we started out. We share the blame for prompting Shinra to collapse Sector Seven in Midgar.

Barret threw back his head and howled. Tifa jumped.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean it that way. I miss Jessie, Wedge, and Biggs too."

Barret said, "I'm just sayin', we gotta make this work. We get one shot at this. No gettin' offa this train we're on."

Nobody said anything for several seconds. Barret's train speech, even abbreviated, always had this effect.

Cloud spoke up. "We as a group stood together and faced down many enemies, including Sephiroth in the North Crater. Now, we need to set three bombs on three towers to go off at the same time, after we drop Shinra's invert mako down their vent shafts."

"How many of those canisters do we have?" Barret said.

"Fifteen. Five for each tower."

Cid chuckled. "That ought to be enough to goose their cooks."

"Timing is crucial. Three simultaneous explosions to block the tower vents." Cloud switched the screen back to the external view of the towers.

"Then you get off before the whole world goes to hell. Their mako might cook off quick."

"Exactly. To get the timing correct, we need three people who think with one mind."

Larry, Darryl, and Darryl stepped forward and nodded.

"See why I brought them along? They also know explosives. I take it you have practiced in the last four years?"

Larry said, "Darryl thinks he's Thor, since he makes so much thunder." One of the Darryls cuffed the other on the head.

"So," Cloud said. "After Cid and Yuffie do their thing with the airfield, we form three pairs to escort these gentlemen into position. The first team will be Tifa and me."

Tifa smiled, feeling warmth rise inside. Larry nodded in assent.

"The second team will consist of Vincent and Nanaki." The blond Darryl nodded.

"The final team will have to be Barret and Cait Sith."

Barret snorted. "At least I don't get stuck with Yuffie again. Ow!"

Yuffie contrived to look innocent but appeared to have hurt her knuckles.

The dark haired Darryl looked at Cait Sith and lifted an eyebrow. His blond brother slugged him in the arm.

"If I might make a suggestion," Cait said, "I ought to be on the bridge to coordinate. Reeve can tip me off to Shinra's status."

"Point taken. However, someone needs to go with Barret, and I'm not sending Aeris."

"Afraid I'll break, Cloud?"

"Frankly, yes. I lost you once and I don't plan on losing you again. Plus, I need you to boost us all up with your Planet Protector spell right before we drop. I have a feeling we will receive a poor welcome by Shinra on the way down."

"I will go with him," Juria said. "For Kohana, for North Corel, I'll go."

Barret's eyes lit up but he merely bowed his head. John looked at the nun, something like admiration in his lavender eyes.

"You will do well," John said in a far-off voice. "You have already redeemed yourself. There is way too much guilt to carry around like lengths of tractor chain." Predictably, a mist of white fog swirled up from around his feet as he spoke. Tifa felt Cloud stiffen.

"She's awake," Cloud said.

John continued, "I feel this mission will be a success, unless we miss the - "

Ffft! Vincent's dart hit its target. John sagged against the door.

"I wish, you would stop, doing that." He slid to a seated position before Aeris caught him.

Vincent folded his dart gun back into his cloaked body, maintaining his unlikely perch on the wall cornice.

"I would have liked to hear what he had to say," Tifa said, feeling indignant.

"Check outside," Vincent said.

Tifa walked to the door, pushed between the two Darryls and peeked out. Not ten meters away, Raine lay slumped against the wall. Two crew members reached down to retrieve her.

"I'd hate to see what happens when the two of them meet - especially on my ship," Cid said. "This is the third time we had to do this."

Tifa picked up the unconscious boy. "I can't believe this is the only way to deal with the Raine situation."

"Tifa, if we let Raine fully awaken, she will cut a swath of destruction toward the kid's location. And I'm not having a goddamn Jenova reunion here on my ship."

"Why not set her down on one side of the Shinra towers and set John down on the other?"

"And let Shinra get their hands on her? She was the one they were chasing in the first place."

"I wonder how they planned to hold her." Tifa gave Raine one last glance before the crew carried her away.

"The same way Shinra handles everything. Weapons. Big guns. Big bombs." Cid glanced at his watch. "Oh hell. I need to get the _Highwind_ prepped for our assault."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter XX**

 **Skydiving Lessons**  
 _"If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you." - Steven Wright, comedian_

Tifa had John propped against a metal strut on the lower deck when the boy opened his eyes. The open air deck felt as exhilarating as ever, even when the _Highwind_ merely hovered as it did now. Tifa stood with Aeris looking down at the kid while Yuffie leaned over the nearby railing retching up her last meal.

"I can see why you call this the _Highwind,_ " John said in his foreign voice, blowing the hair out of his face.

"I love it. It makes me feel so alive," Aeris said.

Yuffie moaned and continued to retch.

"Poor girl. Can't you do something for her?" John said.

"I don't think it's motion sickness. The notion of leaping out of a perfectly good airplane has her nerves in knots."

"Doesn't thrill me either," Tifa said. "Barret is psyched though. And Cid is jealous. John, that's not how you attach that parachute. Let me help. You'll appreciate it on the way down."

"Your plan involves me skydiving for the first time?" He looked more awake now. "I only know one thing about it."

"Which is?"

"If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you."

"Ha ha," Yuffie said, turning even greener.

"We've faced worse," Tifa said. "Sephiroth for instance."

The door opened and the rest of the crew filed out, each decked out in a makeshift flight suit and a pair of wings poking up behind each person like a pair of bunny ears.

"How come I don't get the blue pajamas?" John struggled with the gear Tifa had handed him. "You aren't going to let your vampire shoot me again, are you?"

Vincent merely shrugged.

Barret said, "I didn't think you'd be awake yet."

"What, and miss being a real Crisis from the Sky? When I hit the ground, roll with it, right?"

"Pull your rip cord first," Barret said. "Here, you need to tighten this up." He spun John around. John broke into peals of laughter.

"Care to share?" Tifa could tell Barret had to force his patience. "We're only trying to save Cosmo Canyon from destruction, so no need to be serious."

"It's Nanaki," John's other voice said. "John says he reminds him of a poodle wearing a knitted sweater."

"Does he now? Well, Barret thinks John reminds him of a layabout who needs a good paddlin', and you're going to get one unless you shape up and fly straight."

"Yes mother."

"Leave him alone Barret," Tifa said. "We each deal with stress in our own way."

"Doesn't anyone take our mission seriously?"

Aeris said, "You have to admit, Nanaki does look, creepy."

Barret snorted. "Just stop laughin'. I put up with Yuffie all week, and now this."

"Attention all hands," came Cid's voice on the speaker. Hard to hear over the rush of wind. "We are now underway. In five minutes, we make our final approach. Be careful; descent to low altitude may be sudden."

Yuffie moaned.

Tifa felt the _Highwind_ turn toward the northeast. The setting sun glowed orange behind them until they dipped in front of the row of peg tooth mountains.

The teams of jumpers broke into their groups of three, clipping themselves to the _Highwind's_ lower railing. Yuffie moved to the point, still clutching her stomach. Tifa sidled next to Cloud, who touched her shoulder and sent a shiver down her back. With it came a feeling of confidence. They could actually pull this off, crazy as the scheme may seem.

Aeris stood in the center within reach of all three teams. Larry and his brothers each held what looked like an over-sized ice bucket. A profane steam wafted off the poorly sealed tops, giving Tifa the chill of death. Aeris kept her distance from the payloads. The Planet only knew how the three full Cetra could hold them.

The _Highwind_ began a gentle dive. While the ground did not come screaming up to meet them, it developed an aura of growing closeness that boiled the butterflies in Tifa's stomach. The group shifted. As the ride roughened, everyone clenched the railings, except for Aeris who strapped herself to the central pillar. John crept along the railing to Barret and whispered something in his ear. Tifa frowned.

"Don't worry, kid," Barret said. "We all get cold feet on our first jump."

Tifa checked her backup chute for the tenth time. "My first jump too." If those flimsy looking wings failed to extend properly, the chute served as her last chance not to face-plant into the side of the nearest building. No time for skydiving lessons while tending bar in Sector Seven.

"Nothing to it," Larry said. "If you find yourself too close to the land, pull your rip cord."

"Yea kid," Barret said. "And if you lose your nerve, I'll give you a nudge."

The intercom squawked. "Approaching first drop point. Everyone else hold on."

"I'm losing my nerve already," John said, moving to the rail anyway. "This thing doesn't feel like it's on very snug." He reached up to play with a strap. "See, this - "

The _Highwind_ lurched almost onto its side. The ground slanted upward from their vantage point, closer now, as Tifa could see green in the countryside instead of faded gray.

"Sorry about that," Cid said on the comm. "Had to duck the radar. First drop point in three, two, one."

"Here you go buddy!" Barret snatched John by his jacket and belt loops and heaved him over the side. The boy went with a surprised yelp. His jacket and pack suddenly pulled loose, snagged on Barret's gun arm. Loops of cord began to unravel, layers of canvas pouring forth to pool at Barret's feet like multicolored Hollandaise sauce.

"Barret!" Tifa's heart froze in her throat. Aeris stared open mouthed, white faced.

"Oh, what the holy hell! Didn't somebody strap that on him? How the hell? Damn it!" He slammed his gun arm on the railing hard enough to dent both and fired off a burst into space. "Damn it all to hell!"

"I did strap him in!" Tears streamed down Tifa's face. "I swear I did! Or you did!" Tifa thought furiously. She had strapped him in but had Barret redone her work? Yea. Then John had cracked that stupid Nanaki poodle joke. Had Barret finished the job? Why hadn't she been able to do it right in the first place? Oh, God. John had complained that his gear felt loose, and -

"Oh Barret!" She flung herself into his arms. "What have I done?"

Vincent tapped her on the shoulder. "Something to consider."

"What!"

"Remember, it's hard to kill a Jenova."

Tifa sniffed back a sob. "But it's my fault!"

"You didn't throw him over."

Barret howled, kicking at the railing, firing another burst into space.

"Vincent?" Cloud said. "You were _this_ close."

"I only wish to point out - "

"Dammit vampire, crawl back into your coffin." Though Barret stopped firing and appeared to regain his composure.

"I am not a vampire." Shrugging, he floated away.

Cid's voice barked again over the comm.

"What the hell's going on down there, Barret?"

"Mission's FUBAR!" Barret spoke before anyone else could recover from shock. "And now, oh, damn it all. _She's_ here."

The white mist pouring from the upper deck snapped everyone to attention. Cloud unhooked himself and drew his sword.

"Here comes trouble," Cloud said. "Try not to kill her, but if it comes to it, there's precious little of my mother left in her."

The mist thickened. Tifa tensed for battle when Raine's form emerged. Aeris chanted something and Tifa felt the blue-gold steel of protection shielding her, along with the euphoric invulnerability that always went along with Planet Protector.

Raine stood for half a second, regarding the group with sad eyes. Nobody moved, deferring to Cloud to make the first move. Raine didn't let them. With fairy steps, she flitted to the edge and leaped over.

"What the hell?" Barret's relief looked obvious. "Does no one use parachutes anymore?"

Nanaki smiled. "Fascinating. They may have a midair reunion."

"Damn," Barret said. "They'd better be quick about it."

"Approaching second drop point," Cid said.

Yuffie said, "Stay away from me, Barret!"

The _Highwind_ lurched again, bringing the twisted triple towers into view. They looked even uglier up close. Three black, mutated fire hydrants wrapped in barbed wire. Blue suits swarmed the catwalks like maggots on a steak. They planned to bring those down?

"Ready Yuffie? Here comes your big chance," Cid said. The _Highwind_ passed behind the towers and plunged again, Cid doing something to slow the rotors. The bottom of Tifa's stomach dropped out.

"I'll get you for that!" Yuffie screamed, though she looked primed to go. Tifa saw her do one last gear check - and did the same with her own.

"Now, Yuffie."

With one step, the girl hopped onto the railing, spread her glider wings and leaped, graceful as a dove. All that ninja training came in handy after all.

"Yuffie away? Great. On schedule. Hang on guys, 'cause it's going to get rough down there."

"You mean it's been smooth so far?" Tifa re-clipped and grasped the railing, setting her jaw. The _Highwind_ climbed and banked hard to starboard, sending Tifa's stomach out through her ear. Looking straight ahead, she saw the ground slant toward her like a rising wall. Beside her, Cloud moaned.

"Yuffie won't have to get Cid," he said. "I'll get him for her myself."

Below, two black planes taxied to the front of the runway, preparing for takeoff.

"And there are the two coming in to land."

Sure enough, the first plane began coasting in, almost directly below them. Cid banked yet again. The runway swiveled before the _Highwind_ leveled out and held, preparing for another dive.

"Now," Cid said. "It's up to Yuffie."

The first plane touched down. Immediately its mate ducked to follow.

"I see the brat lost no time trying out her new summon."

Tifa saw a leathery shape emerge in the sky.

"Good thing we're not fighting that," she murmured.

Three sets of wings unfolded. The dragon drew closer, opening its mouth and breathing a stream of energy ripping across the runway, slicing the left wings off the two waiting planes before streaking to the newly landed plane where it neatly sheered off the cockpit. The remaining plane tried to nose up from the runway but got pulverized under a flaming boulder the size of a moving van.

"Direct hit," Nanaki said as plane parts spun in fiery pinwheels.

"This is for Shera!" Cid announced, starting his dive.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter XXI**

 **Just a Little Late**  
 _"Just wanna let you maggots know I'm still up here!" - Cid_

John, midway through a flying, squirming roll, enjoyed the first ten seconds of his free fall, up until the conversations with his more mature half began. "This is fun," he said. "After all this is done, let's do this over and over."

"You may have noticed," Zinnia said, "Our lack of equipment?"

"What?" John felt his back. "Hey, no way! I put it on. Tifa helped. She - "

"Remember telling that stupid Nanaki joke? Remember how it distracted Barret before he could tighten all the straps? Did you feel anything pull loose when Barret gave you that boost?"

John squirmed and began to flap his arms.

"Don't make me laugh," Zinnia said.

"Got a better plan? Besides. Laughter makes everything better."

"Then rest assured, you're about to get the biggest chuckle of your life."

"Let's work this out. Nine point eight meters per second squared, that makes, what?"

"The Planet has a force of gravity equal to four point three meters per second squared. But it matters little because we have already reached terminal velocity."

"Really? What is terminal velocity here?"

"With our cross sectional area? Just under sixty kph I suspect. Still fast enough to kill you."

"Wow. I thought it was more like a hundred kph."

"On a world with one third our air pressure, yes. Here, at about three thousand millibars, it - "

"So how did Cloud fall off the Midgar plate and crash through Aeris' church roof and walk away with nothing more than scraped knees?"

"Cloud Strife is Jenova enhanced. You, on the other hand - "

"Yes? You were saying?"

"Hmm."

"Hey Zinnia. We have what looks like a comet streaking toward us. Or someone dropped a bomb."

Indeed. The misty shape curved in a downward arc, spinning a white contrail behind it.

"I think it's your friend. Cloud's poor mother."

"Oh swell." He flapped his arms again.

"I told you that does no good. The air is not dense enough and besides, you have no feathers."

"Hey, I read somewhere about how to survive a long fall."

"What did it say?"

"Wear a parachute."

"Very funny."

"You can also slow your descent by lying flat, then bend your legs to land on your feet. Wow, is that a lake?"

"The faster you hit water, the more it feels like concrete. Besides, can you swim?"

"Sure."

"After being knocked unconscious?"

"Fine. How about there? Looks like a swamp."

"You want to be impaled on a dead branch?"

"Stop being a wet blanket, Zinnia. I need cheering up."

"My capacity for good cheer improves when I stand on solid ground."

"In that case, you'll be cheery as Christmas in a minute."

"What is Christmas?"

"A holiday when everyone gets depressed because Santa didn't bring them what they wanted."

"Santa? As in Santa Claus?"

"You know him?"

"The Cetra have a legend about a Santa Claus materia. It summons a jolly fat man dressed in red who hands out presents."

"Materia. I have some in my armlet."

"Then he drives his sleigh team over you singing 'Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.'"

John ran his hand over his materia, triggering the first green one he found. A plume of fog spewed out from them, giving them a comet tail thick as milk.

"What was that supposed to accomplish?" Zinnia said.

"You said the atmosphere wasn't thick enough." He began to flap his arms again.

Zinnia seized control of one arm and smacked him across the face. They tumbled out of the fog to find the ground much closer. Worse yet, they would miss the swamp.

"Crap!" John fingered his other materia. "Fire. I might be able to create an updraft."

"Or just burn your clothes off. Anything else?"

"Cure. That could come in handy."

"After we hit the ground. But unless you have a Final Attack materia to go with it - never mind, it still wouldn't work."

"That leaves - whoa look over there! A six winged dragon."

"What the - wow, you're right. Better brace yourself. I think we're headed for that barn."

John swiveled his legs underneath, dutifully bending his knees. How solid was that barn's roof? He felt his final materia, a red orb, his final card up his sleeve. Time to go for broke.

"Ever see a flying sheep?"

With his best booming voice his boy soprano could muster, he triggered his materia and called out, "Shepherd's Call!"

Ahead of him, standing on a floating circle of grass like an angel on a cloud, a surprised little girl stood in the wind trying to hold on her blue bonnet.

Zinnia said, "I don't see what - "

"BAAAAAAA-ah?"

Instead of charging an enemy, the house-sized sheep sank, tilting face down, headed for the rotting barn like a falling blimp. John slammed onto the its slanted back, hitting what felt like a woolly tank. He bounced and hit again, up by the sheep's withers. (Did sheep have withers?) He snatched at the wool but slipped, smacking onto the ram's head, hearing something crack, but he finally caught a grip on the sticky wool. He even eked out enough of a Cure spell to remain conscious. It must have perked up the sheep as well because it tossed its head and flung him free, allowing him a front row seat as the sheep flattened the barn with an explosive roar.

John spun in an aerial back roll but he saw something big and round (ground?) loom up and he plowed into an earthy darkness, (softer than he expected) maybe wet hay or bark chips - in fact, he punched through it like an albino bullet, (please, not manure!) popping out the far side (air!), catching his foot on an embedded branch and face-planting on the far side, where he dangled from broken branches like a dog's tongue. Shards of barn rained around him.

He felt his summon magic dissipate. Wind whipped backward with a thunderclap.

"Ugh. Alive?"

The back blast burped him from the mound. He landed face first in a green mill pond. He hit with a "splubp" sound.

Now he knew why Spider-man hated that sound.

His head popped above the surface, his hair green with algae. Vaguely he felt mud under his right foot. He couldn't feel his left foot at all.

"I've, never seen, a summon that, huge," Zinnia said.

"Do I have all my limbs?"

"You survived. Against all odds. Now what? You wanted a swamp? You got one."

John spat and fought to stay above the surface.

"Cripes. My left leg doesn't work." Remembering his armlet, he punched out a pair of Cure spells. The first one took away some pain, but the second one made all the plants bloom and filled the pond with writhing coils of green snakes.

"Oh for the love of God!"

The mat of vegetation pulsed, ejecting him at the shore. He surfed onto dry land amidst a breaking wave of snakes, who slithered off in all directions, possibly rejoicing at his willing them into existence.

With a groan he rolled and flopped onto his back.

"Now you know why I don't trust materia."

Still, he deliberately squeezed out another Cure as if running a titration experiment in the lab. Pains faded further.

"Oh wait. What was the plan again?"

"Create, a distraction?"

Presently, a vehicle pulled to a stop. He tried to sit up. Gave up with a cry.

"Hey little fellow," a man said, "You okay?"

John groaned. Zinnia took over and gave a wave.

"Too many sheep," John said.

"That sheep? Did it hit you? Whoa. Did you see the size of that thing?"

"I, yea. It struck me as, larger than average."

"What is this world coming to, when a child can't even play in the woods without being assaulted by a colossal sheep?"

"Shinra. Their tower."

"You got that right. Ever since they built it, my wife Yoko says all her vegetables have eyes. Not just the potatoes. I say, let's knock the those towers down!"

"I, uh." John thought about standing. Blew hair out of his face instead. "I think I'll, blow them to kingdom come."

"Awesome. Name's Wan. Let me help you up."

John made him do all the work.

"So. You serious? You want to blow down those Shinra towers?"

"Sorry about that sheep."

"Hold on to that branch there. Yea. Like that."

Wan glowed with green magic and a burst of water showered over John's body.

He cried out and sputtered. But then his armlet grew warm. "Wait. What?" Green mist spun around him. He nearly fell but Zinnia kept a grip on the branch.

"Like that trick?" Wan said. "I used it on Shinra when I fought in the Army. I can activate others' materia. Sorry, but you not only looked like a drowned muskrat you looked like an ad for a Regen."

"Thank you for your kindness," Zinnia said.

"Why, no problem. If I didn't know different I'd swear you turned into a polite young lady."

"Could you give us a ride in your vehicle? We have a tower to blow up."

"Oh, you mean business, do you?"

"Yes, actually. John forgot to buckle his - oh never mind." She tapped the materia. "He summoned the sheep as a, what we will generously call a soft landing."

"You summoned that thing?" Wan's face radiated with awe.

"How much do we owe you for your barn?"

"Ha. Not much farming these days, what with Shinra and all. But the insurance will pay for that old rickety barn. And we can use the firewood."

"You, actually had insurance? On that?"

"My Yoko. Never above a bit of harmless insurance fraud. You wouldn't believe the authentic holograph pictures she sent off to Junon. And my truck? If you'd smashed it we would have pocketed 200,000 gil."

"Let's not smash it, given we still need a ride."

"I'd really like to see you kick Shinra butt. You know karate?"

"I know of it," John said.

"I'll bet you're just like that dude in that movie. Obi Wan Shinobi. You know, _Star Wars III: The Revenge of Cait Sith_?"

"Yea, just like him. But unfortunately I can't fly. Unless it's straight down."

"Get in the truck. I want to see Shinra go down. I can't fight - my wife would kill me if I got killed, but I will get you there. Yes I will."

"Don't get him killed, John," Zinnia said.

"Who, me? Come on - whoa! _That's_ your truck?"

"Sweet, ain't she?"

"What kind of farmer are you?"

"I have a side hobby. You know Miss Yuffie?"

John nodded.

"Knew it. Anyone with materia like that knows Miss Yuffie. Welcome to the Wutai Underground."

* * *

"What else could go wrong?" Yuffie said as she tried again to get Reeve's mechanical wings to work in tandem. She had finally figured out how to glide, but they kept pulling her to the right as if the wings came from two different types of giant insects. If she fought the drift too hard, one wing or the other would fold up, sending her into a heart-stopping spiral. On the rare times the wings did work, random thermals would boost her so high she had no choice but to attempt a dive for real.

So there she bobbed, a hundred meters too high, watching the first incoming Takeo plane, way out of range for her spells or her shuriken.

She trimmed her wings to aim for the end of the runway where she might get a chance to launch a Comet spell. If she missed, which given the way things had gone seemed likely, at least she might plant a crater right in front of the next plane. Or end up as a bug splat on the windshield.

She nosed down a bit more. Suddenly both wings collapsed. With a shriek of rage she spiraled earthward like a weighted maple seed. Luckily for her, her stomach held no more lunch.

She fought, struggling even to fall straight. When the wings snapped back into place they nearly knocked her out with the whiplash. Back now in a glide, one hand on her stomach and the other against her throbbing forehead, she searched the ground ahead. Wow, she had gotten close. Almost close enough to scrape her stomach on the runway. A distraction. How could she create a greater distraction than she already had? She touched her newest materia, feeling its warmth, envisioning its power, absorbing its command word.

"Tera-Flare."

The Takeo fighter touched down. As if on cue, the sky began to boil, the clouds seething before taking shape. Two, four, six wings; the ungainly lizard dropped into reality, buffeting Yuffie aside as a fly in a hurricane. Bahamut Zero, the monster of many a Wutai child's nightmares, now in full glory.

"Them! Them!" Yuffie screamed.

The beast opened its maw and shot a streak of energy down at the airfield, slicing the two waiting planes in half and decapitating the landing one before vanishing with a final squawk.

The second flying Takeo decided it wanted no part of the dragon action and tried to abort its landing, taking its flight path straight at Yuffie. She felt like a moth in front of a cannon.

"Not today, sport."

She called forth her Comet materia, scoring a direct hit, spewing flaming shrapnel onto the tarmac. Turning about, she struggled to catch an updraft when the concussion from the blast flung her towards the nearest tower.

"Wings, don't fail me now." Blue suited ants poured onto the tarmac, some stopping to shoot at random in Shinra fashion. "That's why Wutai held you off so long," she smirked.

Still, a lucky hit could come from anywhere. Full power, full power. She could barely hear the gunfire over the roar in her ears. Her wings flared and collapsed, over and over, somehow jutting her higher, helped by thermals from the smoking runway.

"What, pray tell, is that?"

A pair of SOLDIERs appeared, carrying a long metal tube. One balanced it on his shoulder while the other inserted a small green object.

"Da-Chao, please!" Yuffie pushed out a Big Guard spell - for all the good it would do - and dove for the nearest tower.

True to form, the wings folded like a cheap napkin, plunging her into a screaming free fall. Something roared above her like dragon breath, spattering against the tower in a cascade of green fireballs. Batting her wings open, she could only bob sideways. Then the wings caught a mystery updraft; she flew up almost as fast as she had fallen. The wings flapped and buzzed like a giant hummingbird, topping out her climb and shooting her full speed straight at the nearest metal tower.

She barely had time to brace for impact. She hit so hard she actually stuck. The tapered tower, its black metal covered with ridges and rivets, slowed her slide enough to allow her a clinging purchase. With wings fully extended, she felt like a fly awaiting the swatter. Streaks of fire shot out of thin air and slammed into a row of buildings along the airfield. The _Highwind_ blinked into view, grabbing a flurry of attention of the Shinra ants.

Time to move. She spied a rung ladder to her left and scuttled toward it. Her wings snapped all the way shut, nearly dropping her into the stench of green fire below. She noticed how team rocket on the runway had turned its attention toward the _Highwind_.

She had to take them out of commission. She hooked her right arm around the ladder to brace herself and launched another Bahamut Zero.

This time the dragon appeared next to her, fluttering its multiple wings as if in challenge: "You can summon me. But can control me?" It dove upon the crowd and released its breath flare. The blues scattered like billiard balls but team rocket stayed put to release one final blast from its shoulder cannon. Then both they and the dragon disintegrated.

"Never let this materia fall into the wrong hands," she told herself, turning to climb the ladder.

* * *

"Cid!" Cloud said, whisking the gray green smoke from his face. "We're in too deep! Pull us back!"

The intercom crackled but Tifa could make out nothing over the roar. Healing spells hummed. Barret's gun rattled as he leaned over the edge spewing randomly at the ground below.

"Just wanna let you maggots know I'm still up here! Brace it folks, here comes another one!"

The _Highwind_ pivoted to take the blow higher up. The green fire bounced off but the heat wave still scorched, smashing the Big Guard spell someone had cast. From her crouched position, Tifa could see nothing except Barret shadow boxing and spraying bullets into the air. He cheered.

"Go Yuffie! I take back half of everything I ever said about you!"

Cloud said, "Great. Cid, we caught a breather. Pull out now."

"Not just yet. If I don't knock out the lifts, the maggots will swarm you on the towers."

Tifa spotted the dragon as Cid banked the _Highwind_ for the strike. Bahamut Zero looked her way with one yellow eye. "If you were any larger, I'd consider you worthy of lunch," it seemed to say. Tifa shivered, even as the dragon boiled out of existence.

Another explosion. A cloud of dust and smoke billowed up around them.

"Ready?" Cid said. "I'm circling to the drop point."

The team groaned in unison. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Tifa noticed it started to rain. Sure enough, a silver-white light bathed her and the party, three angels circling overhead. She looked to Aeris who stood proud, even with her face bloodied and one arm hanging limp.

"Been a long day," she smiled.

"Great Gospel. Your mother taught you well," Juria said, speaking for the first time.

"This always amazes me," Tifa said, watching their injuries fade.

Aeris moved her injured arm gingerly. "Nothing like a second wind."

Juria straightened. "It is an honor to witness such a gift from the Planet."

"You don't have long for mushy time," Cid said. "Teams? Get ready to jump."

Tifa jerked into action. She checked her wings and her chute, feeling a fresh pang of guilt as she thought of John. She held onto the hope Vincent had given: hard to kill a Jenova.

"Remember," Cid said, "timing is crucial. Get clear of the _Highwind_. Then use your wings to glide. Hit your targets. Use your chute only if - Yuffie? What does she think she's doing down there? Taking on all of Shinra by herself?"

"I'm liking Yuffie a tiny bit better every moment," Barret said. "This is scaring me."

"We need to hurry," Cloud said.

"Darryl?" At Larry's word, his two brothers snapped into place. "No screw-ups this time." They emphatically shook their heads.

"Approaching your glide paths," Cid said.

"Whoa," Cloud said. "I just saw a flying sheep."

"Cloud, no time for a breakdown. Ready? Go!"

Tifa, along with Cloud and Larry, tumbled off the railing. Soon the other two groups appeared and the _Highwind_ slipped back behind its mask. No worries about detection now since the radar tower had become a flaming mess.

Cloud grabbed her arm and pointed to his back. Time to activate her wings. The lurch would have thrown her into the building but Cloud grabbed her, his wings snapping open in a smooth motion. Larry winged his way along, flipping and rolling as if he had taught birds to fly before he could walk. Show-off.

With Cloud's help, Tifa glided to the nearest tower where Larry fluttered down like a robin. Tifa yanked his head down before he could draw gunfire. She watched Vincent and Nanaki alight on the middle tower, pulling in an errant Darryl. Vincent, always the showoff, hovered over the edge and sniped at Shinra with his rifle, driving the blue wave back under cover. Barret on the far tower didn't bother to land before he opened up. Men and their guns.

With a few turns of the largest wrench Tifa had ever seen, the top of the ventilation tower popped off and rolled toward the edge. The odor oozing from inside reminded Tifa of a week old dead skunk.

"Larry," Cloud said. He held the misting crock pot at arm's length while Larry mashed packets of clay-like goop into crevices inside the chimney. He followed with a spool of wire. Tifa glanced at the second team where Nanaki stood cutting into his tower with a blowtorch, then over to the third team where the pop of an explosion sent the ventilator cap clanging down the side of the tower. "Yuffie, you were right. Juria is no typical nun."

The zing of a bullet snapped Tifa out of her reverie. My, look at the Shinra ants down there, racing along the walkways on three levels. she popped the shooter with a Fire spell, throwing his aim and his gun over the side. Others charged on in his path.

"Cloud. Have an Ifrit summon?"

"Here Teef." He handed her his armlet.

She snapped the summon, aiming not at the troops but at the metal catwalk. The hulking fire red figure appeared. Holding his molten boulder height overhead - perhaps for show - he slammed it on the walkway, slicing it and the one below neatly in half. The smart minions scurried back toward the central tower. Others stayed put, firing their puny guns even as the ground dropped away below them. Washing out of SOLDIER did worse things to your brain than drugs. About a dozen still clung to her tower, attempting to hoist themselves upward like reverse lemmings.

She jumped back as a blue water-snake appeared nearly on top of her. Had Shinra found a summon materia? No, Yuffie had nearly washed her off the tower. Still, the Shinra blues clanked and gurgled their way down their broken platforms. Tifa looked over again and found Yuffie spider-climbing the drenched metal.

"Here!" Tifa lay flat and reached out a hand. Yuffie snagged it. Tifa pulled the girl up until they both lay panting on the roof, Yuffie draped across her back.

"Thanks. I almost washed myself out to sea with that one."

"Yea. But at least you got a bath."

"Ready," Larry said.

Cloud approached the chimney. With a heroic cringe, he levered off the lid of the mako pot. The green glow gave their faces a fungoid hue. Yuffie and Tifa climbed to their feet and scanned for enemies, anything to look away from that crucible of filth.

"Other teams ready?" Cloud asked.

Tifa pulled out her PHS. "You square, Nanaki?"

"Yes, but I'll be sick for a week," came the reply.

"How about you, Barret?"

"He says just get it over with," Juria said, "so he can take a month long bath."

"Wings up everyone!" Tifa announced.

Cloud emptied the metal crock into the chimney. The contents crackled and roared as they sluiced down the chute. Tifa held her breath against the metallic stench.

Cloud dropped the empty pot with a shudder.

"That was that. After we set the charges, we have a minute to get free. The towers will seal and depending on the pressure, the whole place could blow at any time after that.

Larry reached for Tifa's PHS. "Darryl? Hear that? Sixty seconds." Larry listened to dead air. "Okay, ninety seconds."

Cloud stared at him blankly.

"Darryl says sixty seconds is not enough time to clear the towers should the thermals turn against us, while Darryl asked what's the big deal? He just wants to see a big boom."

"Never mind that," Cloud said. "The sooner we're all off this bleeding tower the better. Prepare to jump."

"Got that, Darryl?"

Tifa looked across at the other two towers, where the two brothers nodded in unison.

Cloud shot a Fire spell into the air. As one, with Yuffie grumbling, they stepped to the edge and launched.

The southern courtyard swarmed with fleeing workers. Shinra blue guards and SOLDIERs tried to keep order but the crowd surged over the blues and even pushed the SOLDIERs back to the gate. In a last stand to stem the flood, it appeared the SOLDIERs might turn the tide but an incoming cement truck crashed through the gates, dragging snapping wires and a SOLDIER with it. The truck ground to a stop but the crowd streamed around it like a river around a stone.

The remaining SOLDIERs began to skirmish with the truck. Tifa could not see who fought whom but judging from Yuffie's cheering, she guessed a cell of the Wutai underground. A pair of Fire spells detonated.

"Larry!" Cloud shouted over the din. "Now! Blow the charges!"

Larry and his brothers pirouetted in unison. When they raised their radios, three small bursts of fire appeared on top of the towers, looking as harmless as candle flames. The crowd redoubled its flight, the Shinra blues right along with them.

Oncoming headlights parted the stampede into two halves. The cement truck began to move as well. It reversed, aiming for the exit, the full fury of a hand to hand duel all around - and on top of it.

"We should be helping," Yuffie said.

"In that mess?"

"Attention!" Cid said over their PHS. "I am circling to pick you up. Meet me at the bog temple ruins, just south of the outer fence."

"Let's mosey," Cloud said.

The three groups met before gliding like a flock of geese toward the pickup point. Then Yuffie faltered in an air current, screaming as her right wing collapsed, slamming into Tifa on the way down. Yuffie tried to shake the bum wing open again but she had lost too much altitude. Listing too far to the right, Yuffie turned into a sickening plunge.

Tifa dove straight down and caught the struggling girl around the waist. "Don't struggle! I've got you!"

Yuffie went limp, ripping her torn left wing free as well.

"Trouble is, my wings won't hold us both. We're going down. Watch for a place to land."

"Top of the truck?"

"The cement truck? It's moving."

"I'll hurl. Aim for the splat."

"Hold on."

Two panel trucks bearing the Shinra logo swerved in to block the escape. The cement truck, never known for its ability to stop on a gil, slammed through them and flattened a Jeep as a bonus. The engine roared, the truck almost back to the road before three armored vehicles cut it off. Shinra blues popped out like rats at a turkey dinner.

Tifa trimmed her wings and dropped her legs, hefting Yuffie into a bear hug. Their feet scraped to a jogging halt on top of the truck. Wutai farmers fled into the night, their tools scattered behind them.

A Shinra commander in a maroon suit climbed onto the mixing cylinder, flanked by two blue flunkies.

"Why, what do we have here? The Avalanche rebel Yuffie and her tasty snack?"

Almost casually, Tifa slugged him in the face. He fell with a precious look of surprise. His men could have riddled them with bullets had they not doubled up in laughter. Yuffie flung one of them into the crowd while Tifa backhanded the other and heaved him after his comrade.

Yuffie stood at full height. "First one to go for a gun gets my shuriken right between his legs." She shot her gaze left and right, waiting for violators.

"I have one, maybe two summons left," Tifa muttered. "You?"

"One Leviathan. Then it's lights out. And believe me, I wouldn't want to be awake after that."

"No potions, no ethers. Sloppy planning on my part."

"Try your Ifrit on that armored truck. You might hit the fuel tank."

Tifa thought their best chance involved leaping into the crowd if anyone called Yuffie's bluff. She didn't bluff about the shuriken but they had to know she could only throw it at one opponent.

Someone at the edge of the crowd began to clap. Tifa turned and her blood froze.

Stu.

"Yes, I see you have brought a Shinra guard unit to its knees. Then again, you are well known for your, assets."

Stu wound his way through the crowd. One by one the Shinra guns rose.

Yuffie glanced at Tifa in growing panic. She mouthed, "Both our summons? Now?"

"Your companion looks a bit peaked, Yuffie," Stu said. "The boss wants to have a personal chat with her. But first, let's play a little game."

A muffled voice came from the cab. "Hey! Brain dead! Ugly! Rat breath! Come over here!"

Hamm, flanked by five minions on each side, emerged from the crowd and approached the cab door.

"Something to say to me, Winkie?"

"Just a suggestion." A young boy's voice grew louder. "Stop and smell the flowers. Oh, and take a bath at least once a year."

Tifa's heart jumped. She leaned over the edge and saw a little girl picking flowers in an unlikely circle of grass.

Stu said, "Guards? Puppet show is over. Blow this cab."

"Yes great sir."

"BAAAAAAAH!"

The eager shot went wild as the personal guard and most of the other blues went down beneath the charging sheep. For some reason, this one wore what looked like an over-sized door frame around its neck.

Stu slowly recovered. His eager beaver sycophant also thought he could rise but Yuffie's shuriken disabused him of that notion. The cab door opened.

"Stand and deliver - ow!" John stumbled out in sprawled surprise. When Stu moved to stomp on him, Tifa leaped.

She tore into Stu like a tiger, kicking, flipping, missing a few times, lifting and slamming him to the ground. She had to stop and pant, but when he stirred, she planted a foot on his neck.

"Don't even think about it," she said. "Surprised to see you John, though pleased."

"Skydiving sucks," he said, not getting up. "Even when you do land on a giant sheep."

Tifa began to reply when Yuffie called out, "Looks like somebody else wants some!"

Stu tried to squirm up but Tifa kicked him in the ribs. Tifa then looked up to see his buddy Hamm approaching, along with -

"Carmine," John snarled, forcing himself up. "At long last, the red killer returns."

"Oh, do I know you?" Carmine's voice sounded officious. Hamm sneered. Carmine stopped a few meters away. "Oh yes. You're that little Jenova boy. Shame Nestor couldn't put you out of your misery but what can you expect from one willing to work with that lunatic Hojo. Then again, he never did figure out what you were, and as I understand it, a Jenova is tougher to kill than a cockroach."

"Quite the compliment, coming from the roach's point of view."

"Never mind. Live or die, little cripple. It is no consequence to me. The tramp Tiffie, I want her. Not dead though, not yet. I plan to have fun with her, for several days if I can swing it." She clicked out her wrist blades. "In front of her pathetic boyfriend would be best. As for the Wutai brat," Carmine turned to where Yuffie brandished her shuriken. Yuffie glared back.

"I have a special treat to keep you busy."

Out of the shadows emerged two young men in cowls.

"Oh them." Yuffie sounded bored. "Portek and some other clown? Gus in drag? Give me a break."

The other clown thrust off his hood. "Remember me? I'm Sir Simon. I hate it when you call me Gus."

"Boo."

Simon stumbled back a step.

"I surrender now," Yuffie said. "Anything to keep poor little Gus from wetting his pants."

"I told you, don't call me Gus!" He raised his gun.

"Now that introductions are over," Carmine began, only to find herself engulfed in a grayish fog.

Tifa heard outcries of anger and felt a tap on her back. John pressed a potion bottle into her hand and tossed another up to Yuffie, who gulped with gusto. Tifa started to drink hers when she noticed the red X on the label.

"John, I need a Turboether, not an X-potion."

"Only one of each in the cab," he said, "and Yuffie needed the turbo."

Tifa palmed the potion, turning to feel a gust of wind on her face.

"Cheap trick," Carmine said. "Oh, you're still here? I thought you'd use that Mist materia to bunny-rabbit away. But since you foolishly decided to stick around - Stu? What have I said about lying down on the job?"

Stu tried to move but Tifa kicked him again. He grunted in pain. Meanwhile, Tifa heard Yuffie talking into her PHS.

"I know, Cloud, but the action is right here."

Carmine extended her arms and two bolts of white energy shot forth. One hit Tifa in the hip, where she heard a snapping sound along with the burn. Yuffie let out a wail of pain and rage.

"Talking on a cell phone while I am speaking is rude," Carmine said.

"You ruined my favorite watch!"

"Ah, the guilt, it won't let me sleep at night. I was actually looking for electronic detonators, but why worry? Where you're going, you'll have all the time in the world."

Yuffie began to mutter. Tifa gave Stu another kick.

"How about you, Jenova boy? You seem so quiet. A far cry from the loudmouth Nestor complained about. What's the matter? Frustrated at how you can do nothing to save your friends? Stu, for the last time, get up!"

Stu made a grab for his sword but Tifa stomped his hand with her boot. Tifa and Carmine both winced at the snapping sound. Tifa kicked the sword over towards John; maybe he could do something useful with it, though the boy made no move other than to sit there and grin.

Carmine struck so fast that Tifa, even expecting as such, barely had time to dodge both the business viper's blades and Hamm's curtain of flame. (Although, she had the satisfaction of watching the fire attack land on Stu. Heh.) Caught in a cat-fight with Carmine, Tifa pressed the attack, though as this cat had metal claws rather than lacquered nails, Tifa pulled no punches. Or kicks.

Time dilated. Tifa saw Yuffie dodge a spell. The ninja even flicked a red materia in John's direction, a first for her. The meditating boy snatched it out of the air like a frog catching a fly. Meanwhile, punch, jab, slash, kick, pummel, dodge. They circled. Feint high, slash low, strike, block, pray.

I see the value of armor, Tifa thought. Her wrist guards deflected Carmine's blades but one lucky strike - she needed to even the odds.

Expecting a Hamm fire attack, Tifa executed a pair of back flips even Zangan would have admired. The Fire spell didn't come. Yuffie had distracted him or John had thrown some Jenova mojo but in any case, Carmine pressed on. Tifa drew back out of blade reach, circling for an advantage. What now? Think.

Zangan. What would he do? He would have rolled up these thugs and disarmed this harpy by now. He would have brought proper equipment. And caught unawares, he would have turned a toilet paper core and a bent spoon into a deadly weapon. she spun to avoid another slash. (Ouch, when had Carmine cut open her knee?) Tifa landed a hook kick to Carmine's forearm. The other woman grunted but did not slow her attack. Tifa maintained her space, circling again, careful not to corner herself amidst the parked trucks, careful not to trip over any sprawled bodies.

Something huge flew overhead. Tifa ignored it. Carmine panted, "I'll have that Bahamut Zero summon. I've been looking for it."

Tifa smacked her in the face, ready for the next soliloquy. A ChocoMog summon rode by, though something about it looked off. No matter. Stay focused. Stay alive. On and on they fought, trading blows, Tifa still unable to find an opening. Behind a truck now. Out of view. Combat sounds raged on the other side. Someone screamed. A night mist began to twirl around their legs. John, you and your stupid Mist materia. In the gloom, Tifa's feet tangled in something, nearly sending her sprawling before a last-second flip saved her. Finding a discarded cab door, Tifa slammed it into the onrushing Carmine, following up with sharp kicks. Carmine staggered but returned Tifa's rush with a roundhouse kick of her own. Watch those heels! She whirled away, cursing herself for not grabbing the heel and flipping Carmine to the ground.

Both fighters paused to catch their breath. Neither moved. Carmine weakly slashed out but then to Tifa's surprise, bolted.

Tifa gave chase. The half second lead Carmine had proved vital. She led Tifa along the length of the truck before darting around the end. Tifa hesitated to follow, lest she run into a buzz saw of wrist blades. But if she circled too wide, Carmine could disappear for an ambush later. Tifa took the only action left: spying a dangling loop of chain from the truck top, she hoisted herself skyward. Once on top, she scouted the battlefield. Yuffie glowed from recent summon magic. Mist still snaked through the wreckage, tendrils of white in a caressing embrace. Then Tifa saw, to her horror, Carmine had anticipated this move as well.

* * *

Yuffie, searching for an opening to fire at Carmine, dodged an array of pesky fire spells from Hamm. Then a thought struck her. Carmine wanted her to throw her shuriken. In fact, such an attack might even mean her own death. Where had that thought come from? Generally, a thrown shuriken meant the death of her opponent but, well, she went with plan B. Holding her fire, she zapped off a Big Guard spell, hoping it would reach Tifa. Eek, watch those blades, will ya?

A pair of shots thudded off her magical barrier. Gus - Simon - whoever. Take him out of action. Yuffie fired up a Stop spell, yet at the last second adjusted her focus so as to exclude Carmine. What the - never mind. Roll with the impulse. Portek and Sir Groper froze. Hamm slowed his spell casting to Tai Chi speed, giving Yuffie a chance to sweep him off his feet Tifa style.

Speaking of Tifa, She and Carmine tore into one another. Meaning to throw a bolt at Stu, she found she had just plucked out her ChocoMog materia and tossed it to John.

"What!"

Her mouth dropped open. What made her throw away her materia like that? She was Yuffie. Yuffie did not _throw away_ materia! Never. She had them stolen, sure, like Portek and her Ifrit - for which she still planned to make him pay - but throw them away?

Summon.

She looked at Stu, who lurched toward the meditating John. She popped the meat head with the Bolt spell and scanned for other targets. How she would love to pelt Carmine with a Comet.

Summon!

No. Not enough targets. She kicked Hamm. She didn't need a summon. Where had Tifa gone?

 _Summon._

Hamm! What did he have now? Something in his hand? A bomb? He cocked his arm to throw.

 _Yuffie! Summon something dammit! Summon anything!_

Yuffie didn't think. As the missile sailed toward her she spat out the command words: "Tera Flare."

She faded all the way out. Way more than a normal summon. Cool. From her celestial waiting room, she watched the dragon burst into being. Then her vision split. Confused, she still watched the dragon do its dive but also found herself riding the back of a chocobo, her hair whipping in the wind where not secured by a headband. She even could see herself with her split vision. The dragon plunged. From both angles, she saw the look of shock on Hamm's face as the chocobo slammed into him. Her other form hopped off and snatched, what? The chocobo's beak picked her off the ground and disappeared. The dragon screamed in. Instead of breathing, it opened its mouth and sucked in Gus whole.

"Wow." Yuffie came to back to earth, landing hard on the cement truck. "Ow! That was - "

John sat lotus style as if nothing more than a haiku reading had taken place. Stu lay sprawled twenty meters away, inching toward his sword. Hamm stood shell shocked next to a motionless Portek.

"My Fire materia!"

Yuffie opened her hand. She cackled. And, she noted, (Had she really thrown away her ChocoMog? Apparently!) she had an open slot, right next to John's old Magic Turbo materia.

"Burn, baby burn." She launched the hottest Fire spell she had known, hotter than the volcanic fire of Da-Chao.

Hamm erupted into flame. He cried out, if briefly, for never again would he serve as Carmine's right hand boy toy, popping off Fire spells by day and warming her heart by night. She even heard his last thought: "How useless. A mastered Elemental materia next to an empty slot."

Carmine reappeared below and pivoted, not noticing her Hamm roast yet. She glowed with a lavender light Yuffie had not seen in a materia. Tifa landed gracefully on the truck across the way, only to have a flailing silver hammer materialize above her head.

"Tifa!"

The martial artist dodged but not fast enough. The hammer came down with the force of a sledge, crumpling Tifa like a scarecrow without stuffing. She lay on her back, jerking her limbs for long moments before becoming still.

"Tifa! Tifa!"

Carmine turned to Yuffie. Then she shrieked, staring at the charred remains of Hamm.

"You! You murdered him! I'll kill you! I'll fry you! Die! Mechanus Cannon!"

Carmine's lavender materia glowed again, a fog light in the growing field of mist. Yuffie found herself staring down the cannon barrel the size of a train engine. She danced to the side but the barrel tracked her like a laser pointer. No time for a spell and no energy for a summon. Only one thing left to do.

Yuffie threw her shuriken.

* * *

When Tifa had fallen, John felt the hammer blow strike his soul as it slammed her head. So intent had he worked on protecting Yuffie that he hadn't expected Tifa to pop back up. He planned to try that "ChocoYuffie" trick again, this time to steal that obnoxious lavender materia, but Yuffie had blown her wad blasting Hamm to the great barbecue pit in the sky. John needed Yuffie in the midst of her own summon to hijack her essence, at least according to Zinnia who had dreamed up the stunt.

Thus when Tifa appeared on the her truck, John had no time to warn her. So he tried his telekinesis, which again proved not worth the spit in his mouth - instead sending _him_ rolling backwards like a drunk pill bug. When he fetched up against a tractor tire and saw her limp form, hand drooping over the side, his heart froze in his chest.

"Tifa . . ."

"Look out!" Zinnia whispered.

John sucked in his breath and released his copy of Yuffie's Big Guard.

"You. You murdered him!" Carmine shouted. "Die!"

John began to plead self-defense when he realized that power suit woman had addressed Yuffie. Now came another blast-em spell. Oh-oh. This one did not look good at all. One chance to save Yuffie: use his loose-cannon telekinesis again. And hope Yuffie survived his "cure."

He braced himself this time.

Yuffie threw her shuriken, despite his mental warning. Oh well. Maybe Carmine had distracted herself enough so she wouldn't catch it. John thrust out his hands with a tennis player grunt. A boulder the size of a lounge chair hopped into the air as if filled with helium. It twirled, then whistled over Carmine's head - and it did bollix her spell's aim - before smashing into the mixing barrel of the cement truck. A shrieking Yuffie plunged off the far side. Her shuriken still flew, managing to clip Portek in its arc. Carmine's Mechanus Cannon blasted the truck remains into greasy smoke. (Thank God Wan had bailed out as he had promised.) John flattened himself as debris whistled above him. "Ouch," he said aloud when a metal bracket impaled Stu in his shoulder. Down went muscle-head II with a wolf howl.

"What in the Lifestream did you just do?" Zinnia said.

"I guess I do have what it takes to be a Jedi."

"A what? You almost got us killed."

"I'm sorry. Yuffie would have died - "

Off to the right, two metal struts fell from the third tower. Carmine, whose gray suit could deflect anything from toothpicks to asteroids, stood and scowled, hands on hips.

"For the love of Shinra, Stu, snap out of it. If Hamm could see you now." She fired a White Wind spell. "The Jenova is just a weak kid. Run him through with your sword and be done with it."

"Dunno boss. Each time I get near him something nasty happens. And boss? I think you healed this, bracket thing, into my body? I can't move my left arm."

"My towers. No!"

John pushed a blast of fear at Carmine.

Carmine stopped her spell and smirked. "You really think so? My Torment materia has more power than you will ever see. Believe me." She caressed her lavender orb.

What emotion had he sent? Smugness?

"How'd you get it? Shag a giant octopus?"

Carmine cocked her head.

"Do you recognize me?" John's other mind pushed forward. "I am Zinnia. Warrior queen of the Forest Cetra. I will see you drawn and quartered, after which I will pin you to the ground like a specimen beetle, and then I will take my time to fillet each of your stumps with a ceramic carving knife dipped in battery acid."

Carmine broke into a laugh. "Wow. I've, never heard such a creative threat. Wait. I do remember a Zinnia. I, don't believe she died well. Not at all. But die she did. Whenever I need an extra push to get off to sleep. I recall the way I inserted every single skewer into her screaming flesh." Carmine licked her lips.

"You would get off on that," John said. "Me, I just pet kittens."

"No time for this. Stu? Portek? Take him out. Rip his body to shreds and feed the pieces to the swamp gators. If Zinnia comes back from the dead you can kill her too."

Both marionettes lurched to their feet. Stu waved his sword with his good arm. Portek stood, though looking as if a cat had clocked him on the head with a brick.

"Leaving, Carmine?" John said. "Maybe you should change your name to Yella. You coward."

She whirled so fast John felt Zinnia jump within him.

Stu aborted an awkward charge; Portek began to glow aquamarine.

Still stiff from from his rodeo sheep ride, John feinted right but tripped, feeling a jolt pass over his back as he scrambled for cover.

Lightning? No. He blinked. "The Blob? Seriously?"

The beanbag sized wad of green ooze began to roll toward him. John scrambled to his feet and ran for Tifa's truck. Would have made it, too, had he not run into a crazed nun.

"Juria? What the - Look out!" He dodged around as her wings folded up like a giant butterfly.

"You hurt my niece!" Juria laid into Stu with her staff.

The bodyguard fell back, blocking each blow with his sword. "Niece? All I did," Clang! "was get beat up," Clang! "by Tifa!"

"I strike for the Flower of Wutai." Thwop. "We will scour the stain." Thwop. "Of Shinra from our lands." Thwop. "Wait like winter; strike like thunder." A windup and a base hit.

"I love it when Winkie pygmies talk tough." Carmine again glowed lavender. Still not a speck of dirt on her suit.

A rattle of gunfire. John watched Barret open up on Carmine. The woman shrugged, holding out her palm as if testing for rain.

"Hey, gun show. When will you get a real gun? You aren't hunting mice here. Would you like an Adder's Kiss?"

Her spell, a spitting green snake, couldn't seem to choose between Barret and Juria. John finally made it onto Tifa's truck, even with Portek snatching at his back.

"Sorry kid, I have orders to snuff you."

Zinnia twisted and snapped a knife-hand to the butler's throat. Portek gagged and doubled over.

"Ow!" John said, shaking his wrist. "You think the butler did it? Wait. The butler always did it. And Yuffie will want this." John tore off Portek's armlet. "Zinnia. I didn't know you could fight."

"Street fighting," she said. "Too bad the Cetra didn't emphasize the finer martial arts. Like Yuffie. Now back to whatever you are scheming."

"I have to get to Tifa."

"Oh no. You're not thinking - "

Portek gargled and made another grab but John shinnied up a dangling chain and nearly reached the top when Portek grabbed an ankle.

"Will you." Kick. "Go." Kick. "Away!"

His shoe slipped off but Portek dropped with a grunt.

John looked down to see Barret get pounded by a bizarre water torture spell, one enormous drop at a time. Tears of - something. Nanaki had also dropped in but Carmine dropped a whirl of black vines on him, pinning him to the ground.

Awful lot of mist about.

Zinnia said, "You do realize you don't have enough life force to pull this off."

"Are you kidding? I'm bursting at the seams."

"Because of me. You try that Jenova trick of yours and you'll put _me_ in Tifa's body. Hey!"

A metal clawed hand snagged John by the scruff of the neck and pulled him to stand. Vincent stood before him, Tifa cradled in his good arm.

"Perhaps you should ascertain whether she is dead first," Vincent said.

"Well? Is she?"

"Yes."

"What! I freaking hate you."

"Yes."

"You, useless jerk." John looked away. Fresh pain lanced at his heart. He spun back, reaching for Tifa.

"No," Vincent said. "That will not help."

"I can't stand here and do nothing!"

"Sometimes, things are out of your power. I am returning her to the _Highwind_."

"And then what? Hold a séance?"

"I stabilized Tifa's body with a phoenix down. We have Aeris and three full Cetra aboard. What you can do now, is stop _her._ "

Vincent pointed at Carmine, now barely visible in the fog. A summoned ballista of energy pounded poor Nanaki with a flurry of energy bolts, flinging him around like a drunk house cat. Barret rose slowly, his gun attachment lost somewhere, his one hand clasped to his bleeding head. Only Juria remained intact. Having coshed Stu, again, she sifted through the rubble until she seized a limp hand. Burrowing faster, she unearthed the inert form of Yuffie.

"Oh no," John said. "Not her too."

Another strut dropped from the towers, unhinging a catwalk. A metal bridge creaked to the side. The mist thickened. Slinging Yuffie over her shoulder, Juria grasped her staff and cast a Cure spell, accidentally bonking Yuffie on the shin.

"Ow!" said the injured girl.

John's heart lightened. Yuffie would blame him for everything but at least she had survived. Maybe he had made a difference.

Unlike with Tifa.

Meanwhile, Carmine conjured a giant ax. Juria turned into the attack, deflecting it off a summoned force field. Unfazed, power suit woman activated a fresh summon. Juria foisted Yuffie onto a recovering Barret and ushered him away, standing with Nanaki to meet the spell.

Nanaki threw up a Barrier while Barret withdrew. The summon took the form of a giant delivery truck with horns and fangs instead of a grille.

"Palmer's Terror," Vincent said. "Cute, but less effective than your sheep. More of a joke than a threat if you dodge fast enough."

Indeed, neither Juria nor the wounded Nanaki received more than a glancing blow. They closed on Carmine, who switched to hand-to-hand, slashing both ways with her wrist blades. In a fit of (probably) boredom, she back flipped out of range, squeezing off another White Wind. Stu and Portek stood up.

"Holy Cripes," John said. "Does this ever end!"

"I suggest you end it," Vincent said. The _Highwind_ hovered overhead, dropping a rope ladder.

"Any ideas how? A hint?"

Wait. He did have the solution. But for the life of him he could not recall it. "Curse my leaky brain. Curse it all!" He threw back his head and swore like Cid at the top of his voice.

"I don't think he had that in mind," Zinnia said.

Vincent drifted up the ladder, meeting Cloud on his way down. John didn't need to read minds to know their thoughts.

"Tifa!" Cloud's anguish cried out as he sailed off the ladder. He skipped the truck and nearly landed on Carmine. "Tifa!"

Carmine, having maimed Nanaki and pushed Juria back on her heels, turned to greet Cloud. Stu fell back, wanting no piece of any of it.

John fumbled through his thoughts. The duel raged like a white fever. What could he use? A limit technique he didn't know about? No, he needed his energy for Tifa. Wait. If Vincent couldn't say it out loud, it meant that Carmine . . .

Cloud threw his soul into the fight, slashing hard with his Omnislash maneuver. Carmine even appeared to go down but found a hidden niche in the rubble and managed to heal. They pressed on, in and out of sight. Portek, alone now, rooted through debris until he found Yuffie's shuriken. He beamed at it as a child would a birthday cake.

Stu scored a lucky hit against Juria's staff, snapping the weapon in two. When the Materia orbs scattered across the ground, he dove in like a kid in a bouncy house. Carmine and Cloud slashed on.

"Eat green snaky thing?" John threw a stored spell from Cloud's revenant mother. Portek staggered, nearly dropping his find.

"Hey, what's this? What happens if I say 'Tera Flare'?"

Great. Well, if he couldn't remember the ultimate solution, he might as well become dragon bait. He jumped off the truck as Vincent descended the ladder again to assist Barret, who failed to solve the riddle how to climb a rope ladder one handed while carrying a limp ninja.

"Here, dragon dragon dragon! Here boy!" John whistled.

But what appeared looked barely larger than a flying terrier. "Squawk!" The little beastie flapped all six wings, slapped its tail at John's face, darting in to bite his shoulder.

"Get back, you crazy mutt!"

And just like that, he knew. Materia. And yes. He did have the answer all along.

"I am such an idiot!" he flailed at the dragon. "I'm a total, freaking idiot! But so are you, Vincent. For not just telling me!"

"Oh, look at all this lovely materia," Portek cooed. "I wonder what this one does?"

"Hey blow-up doll!" John hurled a rock at Carmine. She paused her combat to scowl at him. Cloud fell back and slammed home a couple Cure spells.

"Yea. Harpy in the over starched suit. Bark hello to your mother, will you?"

Carmine lifted an eyebrow.

"Yea, you used snot-rag. I'm talking to you. Why don't you drop your materia and join me in a dance for world peace?" He dropped both his and Portek's armlets at his feet. "See?"

"Peace?" Carmine cocked her head as if she had to look up the word.

"Cloud," John said. "Your mother would tell you drop your materia too. Get it? Your mother?"

He watched comprehension dawn. The spiky haired champion flung down his sword and armlet as if down by the riverside.

"Jenova worm," Carmine said. "You should have stuck to wiping out Cetra."

"Nah. I would rather wipe out you." He spread his arms with as much flair as a bruised albino twelve year old boy could evoke.

Carmine powered up a spell. Probably that damn cannon again. Likely, given that smirk.

"So Fem-bot. Here are your three words of the day:

"Aire Tam Storm."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter XXII**

 **Take My Reality**  
 _"And miss the explosion? No way." - Barret_

The magic shrieked from John like a lightning spawned prairie fire. He prayed his head would stay on straight. The whole world had become a sea of white: white hot magic that sought out materia in a forest of arcing energy. Carmine's cursing rose to a shriek before cutting off, as if severed by a knife.

He himself fell flat on his back. Alive though, dammit. The smoke cleared to reveal Carmine, Stu, and Portek lying in a tangled heap, Juria's materia orbs spilling across the ground like lost marbles.

"Ha!" He started to rise but his muscles became jelly.

Cloud sullenly retrieved Yuffie's weapon, sheathing his own. Juria scooped loose orbs into a sack. John pointed at Carmine.

"Get that - whoa!" Her armlet detached and whipped at him like a drunken Frisbee. John actually caught it.

"Telekinesis finally worked!"

The _Highwind's_ ladder drifted toward them. Cloud healed Nanaki and sent him scampering up the rope. Vincent drifted back down. Concern flooded his usually unreadable face. All went quiet; only the snapping towers echoed across the fog drenched night. Aeris hurried down after Vincent, tears streaming down her face. John's heart burned hot. Aeris walked over and said something to Cloud. He grabbed her in a frantic embrace.

"Looks bad," Zinnia softly said.

"If only - "

"Don't start that, John. Please. It's pointless."

Cloud reached down, picked up Carmine's body by the legs and, hammer-throw style, hurled it at the truck. She struck hard and lay with a limp thud. Drawing his sword, Cloud walked to Stu and decapitated the body.

Aeris screamed. Juria darted in to grab Cloud's sword arm. Whoa - that nun had some nerve.

"Please, Cloud. Would Tifa want you to act like that?"

The blond warrior sagged like a burlap sack. He clasped his head with his free hand and leaned against the nun.

"I never," he said, "I never got the chance to tell her," John overheard. "I always lost my nerve."

Up above, a trio of Nanaki, Barret and Yuffie peered stone-faced over the side of the lower deck. Cait Sith joined them, holding his wobbling to a minimum. Aeris glanced in John's direction, pleading in her eyes.

"Can you do anything to help?"

John walked to her. Suddenly, Cid's voice called out on a loudspeaker.

"Folks, we have more trouble."

Across the clearing stood Raine, swathed in her cloak of mist, staring at them with blankness on her face. No anger, no sorrow, no pain: all life departed, her eyes like twin holes drilled through frozen space. John regarded the drifting mists. She must have watched them for some time, perhaps the whole battle. She stood, not even blinking. John took a step toward her. She stepped toward him. He stepped again. So did she.

John's mind raced. Cloud and Vincent, the least battle weary, arrayed themselves in a defensive front. John heard Vincent mutter something about Lucrecia.

"You going to fight her with materia?" John asked.

"Of course we use materia," Cloud said.

"Remember that Aire Tam Storm trick I used on Carmine? Guess where I picked it up?"

Cloud looked him, color draining from his face.

"All of you," John said. "Up the ladder. Now."

"But - "

"Hurry!"

"Rumor has it," Vincent said, "Professor Gast developed an armlet that would protect the wearer against an Aire Tam Storm attack."

"Good for him. Scram!"

"Sadly, its last known location was on Shinra's _Gelnika_ plane before it sank in the great ocean.

"Pity," Juria said. "The _Gelnika_ also carried the remote attack codes for the _Highwind_ missile pods, as well as Wutai's ceremonial artifact, the Conformer."

"For God's sake people!"

The group finally started up the ladder. Except for Vincent, who floated.

Juria, clinging to the bottom rung, said, "We have a saying in Wutai. If we had some prunes, we could have prunes and rice if we had some rice."

"We Jenova also have a saying. Do you want Tifa to live or not?"

"So you do have a plan."

"If he does," Zinnia said, "You had best be out of range."

John looked at Raine, at the cool blue eyes, windows into her soulless body. Raine took another step forward. John could feel the cold sucking about her, an arctic vacuum in search of heat. Juria finally scaled the ladder. John hopped on and climbed a few rungs, motioning for Raine to close in. She did. He climbed more rungs, feeling the rope's tension as Raine seized the bottom. The towers began to whistle, and not like a friendly choo-choo.

"Hope she follows." John raced up the final length. Barret hauled him aboard.

"Cid," Barret called. "All aboard."

Almost. Glancing over the edge, John could see the swirl of white half way up the ladder, even when it swung out of view as the _Highwind_ banked hard to flee the scene. He clung to the rail. The ladder swung back out as Cid turned to port; Raine had moved to within four rungs of the top.

"I'm gonna move us away," Cid's voice said. "Take cover."

"And miss the explosion?" Barret said. "No way."

"You can see it from the bridge, knot-head. Get up here. All of you."

John considered lashing himself to the railing but fell in line behind Barret, who held the door for the rest of the group.

"Look kid. I'm sorry for . . ."

"I know. Feel guilty later. When you blame me for not saving Tifa."

Raine grasped the railing and pulled herself over.

"Not much time. We need to get to the bridge before Vinnie shoots me with one of his bloody darts."

* * *

They stood in a circle on the bridge as Cid kept the towers in view off the port side. A pall hung over the group. Tifa lay on a blanket on the floor, Aeris crouched over her, tears running down her face. Cloud lay down his sword and knelt at her other side. "Tifa." He gathered the young woman to his chest and shuddered. "My Tifa. My, my Tifa."

John remained at the top of the deck stairs, noting the drifting tendrils of fog. Soon Raine appeared at the bottom, where she stood, unmoving.

Cloud remained oblivious, rocking Tifa and crying.

"How far he's come," Aeris said softly. "Yet, look what it has cost him. And us." She looked at John, her eyes sad yet questioning.

John glanced at Raine. "Cloud?" he said, raising a finger as if forcing hope. "Perhaps - "

"No!" Zinnia cut him off.

"Let me talk."

"I already told you, John. If you try to donate your life force to Tifa, you will deposit me in her body. Cloud doesn't want the love of his life infested with the soul of a banshee."

Cloud blinked. Aeris almost smiled.

"She is the love of your life, is she not?"

John caught the hint of a nod. He suspected Aeris did, too.

"Zinnia, I don't mean Tifa. I mean, her."

"Raine? The shade?"

"Why not? She's a revenant who follows me around looking for a soul. Guess what, I have one to spare. Yours. Once you are out I can try to help Tifa."

"But your life force will be so weak. The attempt could kill you."

"Same can be said for falling off an airplane." John cut his eyes to Barret. "Look. Tifa saved my life by taking on Carmine. I didn't hear her complain."

"I'm warning you - "

"Cloud has some Jenova in him. Perhaps he can help."

"Yes." Cloud stood, Tifa in arms. "Tell me what to do. I don't understand how this works but I'll try anything. You did bring back Bugenhagen. And Aeris."

"One thing at a time. Vincent has a lot of Jenova. Although we might get back a Tifa who flaps around like a bat."

"While I would advise against it," Vincent said, "I will help."

"Let's do it. Just, hold onto Tifa until I am ready. And pray. You never know who might be listening."

Juria and Aeris moved to his sides. Vincent nearby, close enough to snatch Aeris away if the plan went wheels up. He also kept his trank gun visible.

"Cloud, one reunion coming up. All of you, if I explode, duck. You don't want to be picking my intestines out of your hair." John hugged Aeris. "Wish me luck."

She kissed him on the forehead. He felt himself blush. Good, he thought. The more alive he felt, the better their chances.

Approaching Raine, he triggered his Mist materia. The white cloak of fog shut out the clanking distractions, as well as drawing Raine to him. She moved like the ghost she had become, stepping without sound. Cold bored in, air snapping with ice. Reaching out, he felt Zinnia's panic but pressed on, planting his feet on the bottom step. "Mistake!" his mind screamed. He flinched, balking at a vision of Zinnia ripping from his body in screaming shreds. Somewhere back in reality he felt Aeris holding him. He also saw the lifeless form of Tifa floating in Cloud's arms, her long black hair drifting in the swirling mist as if she had begun sinking in a frosty lagoon. As Aeris had . . . Back on mission. Zinnia had ceased her struggle. As one they reached out and grasped Raine by the arms.

No dazzling flash, no leaden plunge into Hell. Instead, he felt a vague shaking, a fall into a box a bit too small. A tug, as if between two magnets, stretched his spirit like taffy. Reality thinned around him. Sounds retreated. Zinnia's spirit entwined with his, two spindles of glowing strands woven into beautiful patterns, layers within layers of John and Zinnia threads, but the patterns began to distort, to strain, their combined soul draping over a metal wedge. The pain came like an anvil dropping on his stomach. Flesh tore. Skin and bones ripped apart, agony flaming in every cell -

Zinnia's scream. "My God, what is happening to us!"

"John, you're burning up!" Aeris, her cool hands gripped his neck. The pain dulled. John clutched at her. He needed an anchor. Anything to escape the dump truck driving across his kidneys.

"Slow down. You two are tangled in a knot. I can feel it."

A knot. John pondered. He felt Zinnia do the same. Well, yea. They had occupied the same body long enough that their souls had begun to merge. One couldn't simply rip them apart any more than one could pull apart conjoined twins. Relax? How? Amidst this deluge of pain? As for time, they had so little of it. Let go; loosen the grip. How hopeless. What a fool he had become, inventing his clever plan. Did he think he could drop Zinnia into Raine like slipping a rent check into a mail slot? Better to have remembered about that damned Aire Tam Storm before Carmine had bludgeoned Tifa in the first place.

"Look at me."

A girlish form, an outline at least.

John thought he saw Aeris or even Ifalna, his spirit pen pal. Then he saw the long silky hair, the warm copper eyes, the bright friendly smile. Tifa, even this silent afterimage, provided the touchstone to center his mind.

"That's right. Untwist. Unwind. Unmerge."

Eyes on the goal. John/Zinnia finally relaxed. Like a cramped handshake with thousands of fingers, they unclenched their grip, one finger at a time. Slide free like loose flesh on a - no, watch those images - slick with oil, slide free, bright strands, all unlinking from their partners, like chromosomes pulling away in a dividing cell. Soul mitosis? Did it have the same stages? Prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase? He never could remember them all.

He slid out, slid aside, watching the Zinnia part of him also slide loose. Sudden loss stuck him, though he told himself their shared memories should remain, probably with many parts of each one in the other. That thought pleased him. Zinnia, cranky and bossy, yes. But he really liked her. Still, like an exhausted host after the holidays, he wanted his body once more to oneself. With a final sigh, they slipped fully apart, two wet locks with all tumblers finally clicking open.

John dropped into his body like a stone into Jello. He stood, swayed, vowing to stay on his feet. He still had a job to do, and he realized with a dash of smugness that his first instinct had proven correct. Had he tried to revive Tifa the way he did Bugenhagen, he would have had no danger of depositing Zinnia in Tifa's body. No way could that painful hell on wheels ordeal happen by accident. In fact, a new danger would have emerged: their two souls would have fully melded into one. But he would have risked it to save Tifa. Now, weak as a feather, he had no clue how to pull it off.

Steadied by Aeris, he shuffled back to where Cloud cradled Tifa in his arms. The journey, meters and meters, felt like a ten-K run. His vision blurred but he forced himself onward. He had done this "Born Again" trick before. Why not now? Tifa. Focus. Tifa had given her life for their mission. He would do the same. Simple as that. Though with any luck, he might live through it. Jenova, after all, never went down easily.

Vincent walked past, Raine's limp form over his back.

"Did she, pull through alive?"

Aeris touched his face. Had he blacked out? Still on the _Highwind's_ bridge, Cloud gripped his arm. Tifa lay on the blanket again, eyes open but unblinking.

Tifa. He had to find enough within him to give her back to Avalanche. So what if he dashed himself into a coma? He reached out and took Tifa's still warm hands in his own. Now he realized how her body had healed. When she had fallen, she had landed on the X-potion he had tossed to her. Her body, alive at the time, absorbed the magic through the glass cuts. Heck of a way to quaff a potion but it made his job easier. He moved his hands up to her bare shoulders and stared into her serene face, opening his mental flood gates.

Pffft.

He blinked. His last trickle of life force dribbled out and stalled, a dead battery. Not enough power to animate a dust bunny. He coughed. He called on his store of rage, his willpower, his, what, skill as a stubborn little bugger? Nothing.

All swept away in that damned soul untangling ordeal. Or maybe the bareback skydiving. Heck of a way to relax.

"Come on, come on . . ."

He gripped Tifa tighter.

"Come on. It's not childbirth, for crying out loud. Punch it, John!"

Nothing.

"Born Again," he whispered, in tears now. Until those dried up too.

He felt his world rotate. No, just the beginning of a faint.

"How do I help? Tell me," Cloud said.

"Just be there," Zinnia's weak voice said, still recognizable in her new body. She reached in and clasped her hands over John's, giving him her two trickles of energy. Two drops meandered down a dry riverbed.

Zinnia had, after all, received a fragment of him.

Others approached. Cloud bloomed the brightest, eager and violent, scorching with his azure eyes. Vincent added his strength, dark red and mysterious. Aeris and Juria, though not Jenova, lent a gentle green vigor, enough to soften the riverbed. Others joined. The youthful energy of Yuffie. The angry yet compassionate drive of Barret. The intellectual nostalgia of Nanaki. The confident drive of Cid. (John winced at the whiff of stale tobacco.) Even Cait Sith, an animated stuffed cat standing on a robotic marshmallow, threw in enormous crackles of energy. "I owe that stuffed cat a year's supply of stuffed catnip." At last, at long freaking last, John felt a lock begin to turn, just as he had felt it in the Ancient Capital weeks before.

The turning sensation continued, a door in the Planet clicking open.

"John? Is that you?" voices sounded faint in this sea of green but he knew this voice. Her voice. Tifa.

"Aye, and the whole gang. We have come for you."

"Cloud? You brought Cloud with you?"

"You think I could keep him away? He really cares for you.

"He does?"

"Well, duh. He's a broken spindle without you. Though if he saw you here, at peace like this, he might be less sad."

"I know. Aeris told me."

"Does she speak with the dead now too?"

"No, she's already dead."

"Wait, _what?"_

The jolt nearly broke his trance. But the image of Tifa molded into Aeris, pink dress and all. Just the sight of her put his heart at ease.

"Of course, silly. Sephiroth killed me when I summoned Holy, remember? Only thanks to you, I exist in your world as well - where Sephiroth never summoned Meteor."

"Because we stopped him."

"In your world you did. Not in all worlds."

"Which world am I in now?"

"All worlds."

"You mean I did all this for nothing?"

"No, silly. I mean, from here, I can see all the ways things are."

"But, I don't, wait. You can see, yourself out there?"

"Worlds where I live and - " She morphed back to Tifa. "Worlds where she dies. As for me - " Back to Aeris. "Worlds where Tifa dies. Worlds where nearly everyone dies."

Aeris vanished, only to reappear over on his left, where Cloud walked up, his face haggard and his body scarred.

"I seek," he said, "I seek only forgiveness. Above all I seek forgiveness."

"Forgiveness from whom?" Aeris said as they both vanished.

John felt his mind start to bubble. "Tifa? Are you still here?"

"I am. I would come home with you. But I can't."

"Say what?"

"She will remain here," Aeris said, reappearing. "This is where all things are."

Bugenhagen appeared to John's right. "Ho-ho-hoo, where all things can be seen."

"Even your friend Zinnia is here," Aeris said, "in the reality where she did not choose to embrace her pain."

"But why can't Tifa come with me, if you did and Bugenhagen did."

"But we didn't. Do you see? We see how all things are; you, as a Jenova, choose how your things are."

"Ho-ho-hoo, you meddle with probability, much as others sculpt with clay."

"Do you see?" Aeris morphed back into Tifa. "All that could have happened." Back to Aeris. "All that might have happened, even if by accident, is possible."

"Except, saving Tifa? Wait. You're not going to tell me the other Aeris has to die to free her. I will not be a party to that. I will offer myself in her place."

Aeris smiled. "See why my mother likes you?"

"She did show me how to save you. The other you I mean."

"I'm glad her hunch paid off."

John felt like flopping onto something.

Bugenhagen said, "Rest assured, you have no need of human sacrifice. Ho-ho-hoo! But be careful. The Crisis, the original Jenova, could not handle the infinite. No one can. It drove her mad."

"Huh."

"You, though. I have faith in you. You are too stubborn to go mad."

"Some would say - "

"Fully mad, he means," Aeris said with a smirk.

"Tifa? How do I get you back? I can't redirect your Holy summon again, nor animate you with my life force because I haven't got any. I barely had enough to get here."

"Ho-ho-hoo! I realize my mistake."

"What?" Then realization dawned. "Your ritual - that whole song and dance. (Literally.) You rascal. You donated your life force to get me back on my feet, didn't you?"

"Yes," said Tifa, having again replaced Aeris. "He knew he was dying. So he wanted to help."

"And then I, hahahaha!" John felt tears rise with his laughter. "I knocked myself back out pulling him back. Haha, I love it." He laughed again. "He was so pissed when he woke up. I, words fail me."

"He couldn't possibly stay mad at you for your sacrifice. But do you see why you can't take me back by force?"

"I don't want to force - "

"John. As a Jenova, you bend reality. What do you think telekinesis is?"

"A bloody pain, that's what! If it had worked back there on you, we wouldn't be here now."

"Ho-ho-hoo! You borrowed momentum from another reality, but unfortunately, you aimed it backwards."

"But you did get it right with Yuffie," Tifa said.

"Too little too late." John gazed downward.

"Hey." Aeris reappeared. "No time for breakdowns, okay?"

"Ho-ho-hoo, we see probability, you change it. Do you see?"

"You could, say, take the reality where Tifa dodged just enough to miss the lethal blow."

"Just as you took the reality where I live on for another twenty years or so. Ho-ho-hoo!"

"Just as you took the reality where Raine tried to return to her animated shell of a body."

"Hey, wait. You blame me for that?"

"Accidents have consequences." Tifa again. "Hojo once took a part of you. In an attempt to mind warp Cloud, he injected it into his Raine's body. That part of you, in Raine, tried to join with the greater part."

"And she now has Zinnia. I'll never shake them now."

Aeris again. "We point out unforeseen consequences. Not all are bad. Most are simply annoying. Still, the more you pull at reality, the more likely you create a paradox."

Raine appeared, replacing Aeris. "When reality tries to resolve a paradox, especially one caused by a single entity, it's always easier to remove the causing entity. Keep this in mind. And tell Cloud I will always love him."

"Gulp."

"Bugenhagen said, "You see now. I can see. Ho-ho-hoo!" He twirled out of sight away in a laughing whirl.

"I think I need a break from reality myself."

Aeris again. "Then return. Give Tifa my wishes. I love her, my best friend."

Tifa again. "But remember, it will cost you. And me."

"Well, _you_ don't have a lot to lose."

Aeris again. "Every time you alter reality to save someone, you impart a piece of yourself. It could spread. Like a virus."

"Gyaahh!" He opened his eyes and found himself back in the crowd on the _Highwind_. The three towers still glowed red through the ceiling. The floor tipped as the airship banked to port, gaining altitude.

"Tifa Tifa Tifa." He scuttled over to Cloud, who cradled her in his arms.

"Awake now, kid? That place is about to go up," Cid said. "Want to watch?"

"Tifa?"

Cloud shook his head. Someone had connected her to a diagnostic machine but the readout showed all flat lines.

"You need to change the batteries in that thing."

"What?" Nanaki gave him a quizzical look.

"Just roll with it, huh fur ball? Check it if you don't believe me. Besides. You don't have the connection right on this one." Indeed, one lead had pulled loose and lay tangled in Tifa's hair.

"What are you saying?" Cloud asked.

In reply, Tifa coughed. Cloud almost dropped her.

John felt her wrist for a pulse. "Old school sometimes works better. Yuffie's aunt. A bit too fond of bombs. Ugh, and I'm running on fumes." He unfastened the other wires.

Cid puffed out a few fumes his own.

"Those'll kill you, you know," John said.

"John, I'd put you on your bench but Yuffie's there. Damn bridge has become a sickbay."

"Tifa," Cloud said. "Tifa!"

The martial artist cracked a smile, gave the crew a look, and said, "Feels like I've been run through a shredder."

"Tifa. Oh, Tifa."

"Cloud, you're getting me wet."

"Tifa. Tifa." He rose to her feet and carried her, long hair flowing, over to his window seat. "Tifa."

"Well, he's got that word down all right," John said.

"Tifa." He sat cradling her in his lap, and closed his eyes.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter XXIII**

 **Benched**  
 _"I can tangle with armies of Shinra drones but I can't even take a ride on a simple airplane." - Yuffie_

"Barret," Yuffie said, wishing she could kick him. "Next time you put that elbow in my stomach I'm going to spew down your shirt."

"Once a brat, always a brat."

Yuffie coughed. That Jenova kid needed to learn finesse. Still, he had saved her from Carmine's Mechanus Cannon spell, though she would feel sore for a week. On the other hand, she clenched in her hand the best prize she had ever held. She held her hand up under her shirt in case it glowed lavender.

Cid passed the unconscious John to Vincent and headed to his captain's station.

Cait Sith jiggled. "That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen. And I've seen a lot."

Cid said, "Now that the miracles are out of the way, how much time do we have until the place blows?"

Footsteps marched up the stairs.

"Hi. I'm Larry; this is my brother Darryl and this is my other brother Darryl. We too have pondered the exact timing of the demise of the Shinra mako putrefier towers. Darryl says he's certain at least one tower will blow within the next five minutes, while Darryl says they've already blown and we simply don't realize we are dead yet."

"Let's take the uncertainty out of it. Darian? Hard to port. Reverse rotors, one quarter power. Ready? Missiles away!"

Yuffie watched half a dozen streaks of light slam the lower compound just below the three towers. The _Highwind_ jerked back, affording a full view as the scene erupted in green and orange, the towers blowing apart like shattering clay pipes. The bridge cheered, though Cloud uttered no more than a satisfied grunt.

"Hold on. Shock wave!" Cid shouted orders but Yuffie clenched her eyes shut, clamping her hand even more tightly on her new Torment materia.

The wave struck with a hammer blow. Yuffie opened her eyes to find herself sprawled on the floor. A stale olive haze outside made her reach for her bucket. No more pea soup again. Ever.

"Ah, crap," Cid said, peering through the poisonous fog. "I just had the whole damned hull detailed."

The _Highwind_ picked up speed, heading out over the black ocean. Orange beacons, buoys and fishing boats, eased Yuffie's distress as they slid underneath. Later, after Barret had hauled her back to the bench, she looked up to find Aeris handing her an herbal tea. She drank it, sighing as the young Cetra bathed her in a Healing Wind.

"I think everybody needed that," Aeris said.

"One Takeo left," Cid said, "and it's not following us. Good thing, 'cause we're a lot more banged up than I would like."

Yuffie, still wobbly, walked over and sat next to Tifa, putting her arm around the martial artist's shoulders. "How are you doing? As Cid would say, we kicked some real Shinra booty back there. You were awesome with Carmine. No one else could lay a pinkie on her. That is, until our pet loose cannon woke up and flattened her." She glared at John's cushion.

"I don't remember much," Tifa said, "after, you know, the truck."

"Let's not talk about that part. Carmine nearly punched my ticket too. You really wore Cloud out tonight, didn't you?"

Tifa blushed and pulled herself loose. Cloud mumbled something and went back to sleep.

Aeris sidled over to them.

"Yuffie might need more help than I do," Tifa said. "She's looking pale."

Indeed. Though the turbulence had roiled Yuffie's stomach, she had nothing left to hurl. She grasped her lavender touchstone and slumped in the chair next to Tifa. One more lurch and she reached for the bucket anyway. After an uneventful wretch, she lay sideways on the bench, legs in Tifa's lap, face pointed away from the windows or ceiling.

"I don't believe it," she said. "I can tangle with armies of Shinra drones but I can't even take a ride on a simple airplane."

Tifa touched her forearm. "It's been a long day. We all deserve a rest."

Aeris returned. "I heard we're having a double ritual in Cosmo Canyon. Nanaki just set it up."

"Double?"

"John and Zinnia - or Raine, if you prefer. The Cosmo elders gave in and decided they like parties after all. Though I hope Bugenhagen will not serenade us with 'Dead Puppies.'"

"Groan," Yuffie said.

"Sorry about the rough spot, folks," Cid said. "It should be clear sailing from here on out. Buckle up and enjoy your flight."

Yuffie smiled up at Tifa, lids drooping, surprised by her exhaustion. "Tifa, I'm so glad to have you back." She curled forward, twisting to shove the lavender orb down her right boot. Plenty of time later to puzzle out its powers.

"I must say," Tifa said with a wink. "That's one materia I'll be glad if I don't see for a while."

"It's in good hands now." Yuffie lay back with a grin.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter XXIV**

 **The Final Power of Fruit**  
 _"Reno fell off his bar stool. Someone put a worm in his martini" - Bugenhagen_

Tifa gazed at The Eternal Flame in Cosmo Canyon as it bloomed in the desert night, casting a chiaroscuro on the cliff walls, warming the souls of all who bathed in its light. Tifa had missed the revelry the first time around but this made up for the loss. Hiro held court over his ancestral cooking pot, stirring its rice laden contents, flanked by his dancers who again wore little more than flowers and fruit. Six full length mirrors ringed the patients, though right now Larry, Darryl, and Darryl used the mirrors to primp as if they had morphed into high school girls. And they brought along their entire hillbilly clan: coffee growing, pear juice swilling rednecks and, according to Aeris, all protectors of the Planet. One of them leaped up from his bench, hurled his wide brim hat into the air, and shouted "Yee-haw!" before blasting it with three pistol shots. With protectors like these, no wonder the Planet spent so much time screaming in Bugenhagen's observatory.

Elena the blonde Turk sat nearby, looking both groggy and polite as always. Aunt Pamela's goat-stop juice might have hit the woman like Palmer's truck but she had pledged to stay awake for the party. Reno and Rude had showed up to arrest Juria for her role in the Wutai restaurant bombing. Bugenhagen pointed out Shinra had no jurisdiction in Cosmo Canyon and he had granted Juria asylum, and in any case Juria hadn't set off any bombs (in the restaurant, at least). Reno argued that Xee had jurisdiction everywhere but if Juria left town with them by the following evening they would drop the issue. Juria twirled her newly restored staff, saying if he and Rude left both the town and her presence, they could leave with their gonads intact. Reno winced and declared himself off duty, at least until the liquor ran out.

"Wutai nuns," he mumbled to Rude. "Let's try that power pear juice."

Yuffie and Barret sat amidst a cluster of young children, regaling about their adventures in Wutai, knocking down those Shinra bastards and even dueling the elusive Carmine.

"I just hope she and Scarlet don't have another cousin," Cid said, examining an order of engine parts. "The poor _Highwind_ can't take much more of this."

Vincent, Cait Sith, and Nanaki huddled together talking shop. Tifa ignored them. No more wild plans tonight. She spotted Aeris walking toward the central tents and followed, ducking mirrors, candles, and thrown bananas.

"Ho-ho-hoo," said Bugenhagen, twirling a three-sixty in midair. "I feel young as a chicken. Don't you just love a double party?"

Tifa looked at the contestants: Zinnia in Raine's body, who dozed as if taking a siesta; and John, who lay half propped up on a beanbag, looking as he always did, resigned to live through some horrible fate. Probably why so many underestimated him.

"So tomorrow they're good as new?"

"Ho-ho-hoo, that's the theory. We've never done a double before. In fact, we'd never done a single until recently."

"No donating your life force this time, okay? Otherwise the party will never end."

"Fear not, child of darkness. The Flame and the Planet will provide."

"Child of what?"

Outside, a drunken scream and a crash of glass. Bugenhagen buzzed over to look.

"Reno fell off his bar stool," he said on returning. "Ho-ho-hoo, someone put a worm in his martini."

"Yuffie," Tifa said. Hmm. How did she know that? Logical guess. Except the thought had just popped into her mind. Huh.

Cloud. Where had he - there. Near Aeris. But no spike of jealousy. Huh. Well then. In higher spirits she trotted over to the pair.

"Hey sword twirler. How are you holding out?"

Aeris leaped up to wrap Tifa in her arms. "Oh Tifa." the Cetra began to sob. "I really thought we had lost you back there."

"Whoa." Tifa returned the embrace. "Don't worry. I don't intend to go anywhere. Then again, I fell to pieces when Sephiroth - Oh God, Aeris."

"Neither of you had better even think of dying again." Cloud wrapped his arms around both women. "At least, not until I'm fully in the ground."

"He wishes to remind you," John said from his beanbag, "that he remembered his promise."

Tifa smiled at Cloud. "You did come for me. I was in trouble, and you came."

"Yes I did," John said, "but I couldn't have done it without him." He winked at her.

"John, you jerk," Aeris said, trying to suppress a smile.

Cloud tried to shift positions but both women held on. Tifa adjusted her head until it rested on his shoulder, her hair flowing free over his back.

"Now that would wake me up," John said. "Be careful not to injure yourself on that spiky hair."

Tifa ignored him. They remained entwined for several minutes until Bugenhagen bobbed along, complete with swishing noises. They broke formation and sat on the rim of the fire pit, Tifa between the other two.

"Bugenhagen?"

"Relaxing for the party, I see?"

"I have a question. Regarding what happened. With me. I've heard, okay. Donating life force I can understand, but choosing a reality? What's that about?"

"Ho-ho-hoo! As the theory goes, there are multiple paths of existence, multiple worlds that exist all at one time, or at least, the possibilities of them exist. In one world, Carmine killed you. In another, here you are. What John did, in theory, was choose - or create - the reality we now live in."

"What happened to the other reality?"

"It still exists in possibility but it is no longer active."

"How can that be? What happened to the people there?"

"They still exist. You could, for instance, die next week, the Planet forbid, in which that case the two realities would merge back into one and life would carry on, albeit without you."

"So when I die - "

"Depends on how much of an impact you have on this world. If your impact is great, the two realities may never merge."

"So I have my work cut out for me."

"We all do. Consider the many worlds where Aeris died and stayed dead. Worlds where your group failed to stop Sephiroth from summoning Meteor. And sadly, worlds where Meteor destroys the Planet. All possibilities exist in the mix. Thankfully most are highly improbable."

"What if," Tifa said, stroking Cloud's face, "What if some other Jenova with this reality bending power decides they don't like me and, wishes me dead again? Could that happen?"

"In that case, dear Tifa, they might reactivate your old reality. But, ho-ho-hoo, you wouldn't care, because you aren't in it. You see? The other Jenova would be there, and you would still be here."

Aeris pointed at the two guests of honor. "Look at how much effort it takes to alter reality. If someone truly had it out for you, it would be easier - though not by much - to try to kill you directly."

"She's right. The young one here probably goes around altering reality all the time in small ways, maybe changing the price of his favorite rock shrimp cocktail if he's a bit short on gil or, more likely, finding more money in his pocket. Major changes only happen when there is no simple alternative. Raising the dead, for instance."

Tifa shuddered.

"Don't let it worry you," Aeris said. "The whole concept makes my brain hurt too."

"One theory." Bugenhagen said. "The Cetra plague? The virus that so brutally destroyed the Cetra? It was not engineered in a lab with scientific controls. The original Jenova might have pulled it from its own tailored reality. That's why the virus became so specific and so lethal."

Aeris shuddered so hard she grasped Tifa.

"The stuff of nightmares," Zinnia said, shifting in her siesta.

"I hope John never turns against us." Cloud mumbled. "We'd be up the Cid creek."

"If I did," John said, "You could just choose the reality where I didn't." John closed his eyes with a smirk.

"John, can you stop feeling guilty now?" Aeris said. "For the Cetra plague?"

"No."

"Oh well. A journey of a thousand miles - "

"Begins with a single stagger."

"Cloud?" Zinnia spoke. Tifa could see the effort it took to stay awake. "Even though I have her body, I know I'm not your mother. But I feel, a trace of her at least. I can put her soul to rest and perhaps yours too by assuring you that your mother loved you very, very much. She was also very proud of you."

Tifa felt Cloud tremble by her side. Her own eyes teared up again.

"Thank you Zinnia," she said. "And rest in peace, Raine. I'll always remember your peach pie." She reached in her pocket for a tissue.

One mirror nearly toppled. "Hey everybody!" Cait Sith bounced like a living beach ball. "Why all the long faces? Here. Let me tell your fortunes."

"No," Tifa said but Cait Sith wobbled backward and forward in his maddening way.

"Here it is. Not bad." He handed her the slip.

"Your world is what you make it," Tifa read.

"See? Didn't hurt a bit. Now for Cloud." Wibble wobble wibble wobble. "Here."

Tifa looked at the slip. "Happiness will fall into your lap."

"Oops? Sorry, that was yours too, Tifa. Let me try again."

Cid burst in, bumping Cait mid-wobble. Cid swore.

"You spoiled it," Cait Sith said. "Now the fortune is yours."

Cid snatched the slip with a grunt. "'You will find a wrench that will never break.' Cute. I just came to warn you guys never to try the power pear juice, unless you like the taste of jet fuel. Oh, and check out Barret."

They gasped as both Barret and Yuffie made an entrance.

"Ah, Barret," Aeris said. "You wore your sailor suit."

"Yuffie!" Cid said. "You're wearing fruit!"

"Barret made me," she mumbled.

"Hey brat, I gave you a choice." Barret's restored artificial hand gleamed in the firelight.

"You said I had to wear fruit or a dress. Aeris, do you see what I have to do to get him into his sailor suit?"

"I didn't think she'd actually do it," Barret said.

"Ahem," said Juria, joining the group. "Well on your path to becoming a nun, Yuffie?"

"Vincent," Cait said to the next arrival. "I have your fortune."

"Don't want it." He did a double take when he saw Yuffie. "Fruit?"

Yuffie took his fortune and read aloud. "'Seek the darkest cave for the darkest caverns of your heart.' Huh." She flicked the paper to the wind. Vincent said nothing.

Nanaki, the last to prowl in, said, "Now that the main ceremony is about to begin, wow. I've never seen so much fruit outside a supermarket."

"If anyone as much as touches a single grape, I'm going to take this banana and - "

"Yuffie," Juria said. "That's not the way a nun talks."

"Or dresses," Cid said. "Come on. Put on a flight suit and start talking like a sailor."

"Flight? Like, up in the sky? After wearing those demon wings you made, I won't even put on high heeled shoes, much less fly in an airplane."

"Could be worse. It could be John flying you," Aeris said.

John snorted. "If I were stronger I'd create a reality where I fly five combat missions and bring my entire team back home."

"In your dreams," Barret said. "Me, I'd take the reality where my Myrna . . ."

"I know," John said softly. "But if I tried a trick like that, not only would my brain leak all over the floor but, instead of Myrna, you would end up with another revenant like Raine."

Barret hung his head.

"I might, be able to let you talk with her sometime. Maybe. If you want to risk it. Remember, you are relying on John Philip Sorea, guilt-crazed, pale Jenova."

"Ho-ho-hoo!" Bugenhagen rapped on Hiro's pot with a spoon. "The latest ceremony of _Yuube yasui shokudo de ebi no tempura o tabemashita ga, ebi wa intanda datta kara, byooki ni narimashita yo_ is about to begin. In honor of our heroes who helped save Cosmo Canyon from destruction at the hands of Shinra and who gave a little of themselves to return a fallen comrade to us, we have a party in progress."

Bugenhagen spun about several times. Tifa had to look away or become dizzy.

"Did someone spike his mineral water with speed?" Yuffie whispered.

Little Marlene slid to a halt. Fluffy the cat leaped from her arms and raced to John where she swatted his cheek. The boy sneezed.

"Just shoot me," he said.

"What better way to kick off the final round than a traditional Cosmo Canyon serenade?

Tifa felt uneasy. John threw his arms around his head, whisking off an annoyed Fluffy.

Bugenhagen began to sing, voice dripping with vibrato. "Dead guppies . . .

"Dead guppies . . .

"Dead guppies, dead guppies aren't much fun . . ."

Yuffie slapped her forehead, jostling a strategic pineapple.

John moaned. "You got the song wrong. Plus you need a chorus. Or an orchestra."

"They just float there, food for flies

"Never blink their yellow eyes

"Dead guppies, aren't much fun at all - "

The song cut out when Yuffie shoved a banana into Bugenhagen's mouth.

The crowd cheered, though Tifa suspected they just hoped to see her shed more fruit.


	25. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Portek awoke in near darkness, his body in pain yet not broken. He found himself ensconced under a lean-to of sheet metal, though it creaked when he touched it, threatening to drop a landslide of concrete on his head. Assuring himself of his ability to walk - or at least crawl - he wormed his way toward the surface, conserving as much of the stale air as possible. He froze every time the debris shifted; the wrong move could crush him like the Sector Seven slums. His luck held though. He broke through to open air, sliding onto a heat-blasted metal plate where the air smelled like skunk and cordite.

The landscape looked like the inside of a smelting furnace.

"Curse you, Yuffie. You caused this." A Cure spell would hit the spot right now, along with a cold beer and a bag of soft pretzels. He would even settle for the ubiquitous Wutai rice and fish. He consoled himself though; he had one treasure tucked away in his boot: Yuffie's aquamarine Poison materia. Without it, he would have perished in the smoke and fumes. He smiled at the thought of Yuffie banging her head and raging at not finding her precious jewel. He stumbled to his feet. Perhaps he should turn away since the farther he moved, the hotter it got. But he felt drawn like an ant to honey. Nothing under this pile; nothing but compost at any rate. Over here. The shell of a bus. No, a truck cab blown onto its side, its windows shattered. The truck bed had fallen away so he dug down along the metal top of the cab, partly sheltered from the heat of the blast crater. He shoved one last slab of metal aside and found an opening, a hole to a cavern below.

Clear out, he told himself. No time to burrow like a badger. But he continued, becoming frantic about it until his hands closed on something soft. A body. Arm, head, chest.

"Touch me there again and I'll rip your arms from their sockets," came the hoarse whisper.

"Carmine? Is it you? You're alive?"

"I can't feel my legs. You need to get it off me."

"What, the truck?"

"Do you see anything else on my legs?"

"But it's a truck."

Sigh. "My luck, only the lummox survives. Look. Use a lever. If that fails, use an Earth spell. It's the only materia I have left."

"Why didn't you use it?"

"Allow me to crush your lower body and we'll observe your spell casting prowess."

Portek took the materia and gawked at it until Carmine nearly bit him on the ankle. He climbed back out. Picking out a steel beam slender enough to carry, he dragged it to Carmine's hole. Then he circled to the far side and cleared away the rubble he could move. Returning to Carmine's side, he fought the impulse to bury her right then and run for his life. Forget about tipping trucks. Just fill in her grave. You have the Earth spell. But his good angel, or perhaps his bad one, made him shrug it off. Carmine might still survive and later, come looking for him.

He grabbed his lever. Bracing it under the truck, he cast the Earth spell on the far side and heaved as hard as he could. Another Earth spell, and another, followed by resetting his bracing poles. The next spell finally allowed him to tilt the vehicle. He hauled on his lever again, bracing it with concrete slabs, throwing more Earth spells until the truck squeaked, tilted, and crashed onto its ruined wheels.

"About time you got that thing off me."

Portek ignored her and climbed into her hole. Her legs looked surprisingly intact, though the weight had pressed them into the ground. He cleared more junk, hollowing out her hole with more Earth spells. She reached up a hand and he pulled her to a sitting position. Squatting just so, he managed to heave her up until he she slid onto his back in a firefighter's carry. It took all his effort to climb from the hole but after many knocks and gashes he reached the summit. He rested, facing away from the heat.

"That's it," Carmine said, gripping him hard across the chest. "Go that way a couple kilometers. I have an equipment dump over there. We can rest then."

"And prepare to strike back at Yuffie and Avalanche?"

"Not yet. They are on their guard now and we are in no condition to strike anything. As soon as we arrive I will release an official statement detailing our tragic deaths at the hands of terrorists. I need to recuperate, bide my time. Then, and only then, we will strike. Now march."

Portek had to stop often to rest and Carmine eventually figured out her orders and threats could not speed her trip. At last, they came upon the depot, a squat gray building on a knoll overlooking an expanse of rice paddies. It looked abandoned on the outside but housed a dazzling setup underground, lab and all. A quartet of attendants greeted them, hovering around Carmine like drones, seating her in a motorized wheelchair. She left Portek alone. To his irritation he found himself locked in his room, meals arriving by silent servants. Bored stiff, he paced the floor for hours, fantasizing about putting his hands around Yuffie's neck, squeezing slowly until her face turned purple and she passed out, then letting her revive so he could repeat the process, over and over. He could feel her young flesh under his fingers. An attendant popped in with a hospital gown, breaking him out of his reverie and ordering him to wash and dress. He complied, submerging his pique before entering Carmine's chamber.

Carmine perched on her chair, looking pinched but comfortable, her hair coiffed and nails manicured. She waved him forward.

"What's the meaning of locking me up like that?" he demanded.

"Nice of you to inquire how I am doing, seeing as how I had my shapely legs crushed under a cement truck."

"Well. How are your legs?"

"I have an appointment with the best surgeon in Midgar, whom I know works in absolute confidence. My recovery may be prolonged but I will relish every second to plot my revenge."

"Yes. Revenge, Miss Carmine." Portek, wondered if the surgeon would live to perform another operation. "May I have Miss Yuffie for myself?

"Perhaps, but first I have a special job for you."

"A job?"

"Certainly. You have demonstrated loyalty and, on rare occasions, competence. Enough to convince me to place you in a position of importance."

"Why, thank you Miss Carmine." He stepped forward but two attendants snapped to his side. They walked him two steps to the right, to a circular railing to which they locked his hands.

"Hey!"

"Don't fret. My first impulse was to have you shot and thrown into a ditch. Let them blame the Wutai Underground. But then, I found this." She held up the ultramarine materia orb.

"Hey, that's mine!"

"Actually, it belongs to that whelp Yuffie, but I have it now."

"I demand you release me. At once!"

"I have a better idea." She flicked a switch. The orderlies returned to her side. "Listen."

Out of a speaker came a series of wet growls and grunts.

"That was once a mere puppy-dog. Now I wouldn't advise trying to pet it. Alas, Fido." She switched it off. Another switch sent a clear cylinder shooting down, sealing itself against the floor at his feet. Rubber pincers snaked out to seize his ankles. Others snapped onto his wrists, allowing the metal bracelets to disengage. Portek began to scream.

"My first experiments with dilute invert mako went poorly. The subject died a twisted, stinking mess. But I have since refined my technique. Too early to expect perfection, of course." She placed the materia orb onto a blotter through which she shone a pencil of light. "Still, a pinch of inspiration and a dash of genius, and who knows what might come crawling out the other end?"

Portek struggled, begged, threatened.

"Come now. I can't have you flying off with half cocked revenge schemes against the ninja girl. It's that Jenova boy I want and you would tip my hand. And Cloud. I really want him. His mind, so ready for molding. I want the others too and I will have fun with them. But those two. When I am done with them, they will beg to join my entourage. Ah yes." She sat back with a dreamy expression on her face for several seconds, perhaps dreaming of surgical instruments. "Now for your job." She flipped a final switch. Green liquid swirled in around his feet, burning like fire, melting off his boots and pants. Shafts of steam boiled around his face. He felt the skin on his legs wrinkle and crisp.

"Move me closer," said Carmine. "I want to watch his facial expressions."

Portek closed his eyes but the bone grinding agony grew, the fire raging up his body, knifing under his ribs, pulling bones loose from their sockets and reworking them in alien patterns. The pain, it would drive him mad, but still, he held onto one thought. Yuffie. Yuffie had done this to him. Yuffie, in her acts of humiliation and disrespect. Yuffie, snotty Yuffie, who even now probably sat smirking, sipping illicit plum brandy, laughing at him. Yuffie, somehow, some day, he would get her. He would show her the true meaning pain. Yuffie, the last image held in his still sane mind. Yuffie, you will _pay._

* * *

Final note: Characters from Final Fantasy 7 are owned by Square-Enix. The characters of Larry, Darryl, and Darryl come from _Newhart,_ the show where Dick Louden runs that B&B in Vermont. Spells that Carmine casts through her "Torment" materia come from the game _Planescape: Torment_ , as does Juria's catch phrase ("Endure. In enduring grow strong"). Likely a few other aspects leaked in as well.

The band Ogden Edsl wrote and performed the song "Dead Puppies"; give it a listen on Youtube if you feel particularly depraved. Bugenhagen, himself a dog lover, just couldn't bring himself to sing the original. /s

Other characters are mine. As is the "physics lesson" John receives during his free-fall: my attempt to explain why people can leap around and fly about so easily in the FF7 world, without resorting to the cop-out of "Jenova enhancements."

In any case, if you made it this far, thank you so much for reading!


End file.
